EXTRA funding is essential to help "hold back the decline" of York's roads.

A council meeting was told that more money is needed from central government to fix or improve the city's streets - as the local authority tries to manage a £112m backlog of repair work.

The Press reported last week that about 10 per cent of roads in some areas of York have been graded as structurally impaired - the worst condition.

Cllr Stuart Barnes said he fears that network will be "worse still" in five years.

Bill Manby, head of highways at City of York Council, told the meeting that a high-resolution video camera attached to vehicles - or bikes - is used to check the condition of the city's roads and footpaths.

Speaking about the state of the roads, Mr Manby said: "This is a national problem. York isn't unique to anybody else - we're all trying to fight this.

"The only option is that if we get the investment then we can start to hold back the decline but we're trying to manage a declining network the best way that we can."

He told councillors the local authority relies on government funding and that he has been pushing the Department for Transport (DfT) for more investment in York.

He said: "I'm speaking to the DFT and I'm trying to get DFT to invest some money into our network to put some of the trials in York as well."

The meeting heard that big repair projects had to be launched following harsh winters in 2010 and the Beast from the East in 2018 - which damaged roads and paths.

And the local authority trialled new infrared technology to heat up roads before repairs - because it was supposed to create a stronger surface - but that it did not deliver the benefits or value for money the council was hoping for.

Cllr Barnes said: "The ongoing depreciation of the network that you've described doesn't give me any cause to believe that there's a glimmer of hope or light at the end of the tunnel. My sense is that we can expect in five years to have a worse still road network"

Mr Manby said roads used most often - including those with schools or community centres on them - are prioritised for repairs.

He added that he has hopes for trials of some new low carbon tarmac products that only need one application - meaning less disruption for residents.