Worcestershire County Council should think twice before it cuts the amount it spends on roads, according to a report by a public spending watchdog.

At a time when the public sector is being asked to tighten belts by the Government – the county council is on a mission to save up to £70 million by the year 2015 – the Audit Commission has urged politicians and officers to consider the risks of not maintaining roads.

In a report out today, the commission suggests England’s roads are under attack from increasing traffic, the effects of severe winter weather, higher repair costs and dwindling highways funding.

In 2009/10, Worcestershire County Council spent £8.92 million on highways maintenance. That rose to £9.387 million last year but it has dipped to £8.235 million this year.

Audit Commission chairman Michael O’Higgins said: “Roads in disrepair can put the brakes on trade, economic prosperity, even emergency services. But a well-maintained network helps people, goods and services to move freely and safely.”

Worcestershire County Council meanwhile issued a reminder that it does work with the district councils on things such as grass cutting to ensure value for money.

Together with its contractor Ringway, the authority’s highways team won the Effective Partnership prize at the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) awards last year.

The council was also given an extra £3 million from the government in March to deal with potholes caused by the severe winter weather.