HAMPSHIRE’S transport chief has slammed government funding after it was revealed more than 170 miles of the region’s road network were in need of repair last year.

The figures were released as part of the BBC Shared Data Unit’s research into the state of the country's road network.

On average, the data shows five per cent of Hampshire’s A-roads and 7.3 per cent of its B/C-roads were in need maintenance over the eight-year period the data covers from 2009/10 to 2016/17.

Hampshire county councillor Rob Humby, executive member for environment and transport, said: “Lack of government funding, together with pressures on social care, mean that local councils are having to make hard choices with reduced resources for highways maintenance.

“We have invested an extra £10million each year in our planned maintenance Operation Resilience programme which is proving effective in reducing the rate of decline in our roads.

“The recent cold weather has damaged the roads further and without additional government funding, it is simply not possible to deliver overall improvements in the roads from year to year.

“The government provides around £1.1million per mile for Highways England’s road maintenance of motorways and major trunk roads, yet just £21,600 per mile for local councils’ road maintenance.

“This is why we are supporting calls on the government from motoring organisations and the LGA to reinvest some of the £40bn it receives in motoring taxes each year back into local roads.”