COUNCIL chiefs in Worcestershire have formally accepted a £3.3 million Government boost to repair potholes - after it was found to be the best in the entire country.

As your Worcester News exclusively revealed in June, the county council has been awarded the funding boost after Prime Minister David Cameron highlighted Worcestershire's roads as an example to other parts of the UK.

On a per-kilometre basis, the county's hand down has now emerged as the best deal in the country.

During a debate over the pothole cash in a full council meeting, some politicians said they were worried about the continued poor satisfaction rates on Worcestershire's roads among the public.

It slumped to just 31 per cent in the spring, compared to 42 per cent in 2011 despite record investment and fewer recorded defects than ever before.

Councillor Ken Pollock, speaking during the meeting, said: "When this has been spent, will anyone actually notice?

"It's a real worry to me that satisfaction rates are down, it seems to be in decline despite irrefutable evidence that the roads in Worcestershire are actually better."

Councillor John Smith, cabinet member for highways, said: "It is quite a worrying situation.

"We know the roads are improving, there is never enough money for highways maintenance, we know that, and we are working as hard as we can to try and get the public to understand what we're doing and improve that satisfaction rate."

Full council voted to accept the money, as it is obliged to in order to receive the funds.

The Department for Transport said it decided to give larger amounts to councils which already show serious commitment to the roads and have the best repair methods - and 148 local authorities secured an award.

To show just some comparisons Bristol got just £434,000, Bath £473,000, Plymouth £379,000, Dudley £567,000, Wolverhampton £500,000, Leicestershire £2.5 million and Birmingham nothing, as it did not bid.

Councillor Adrian Hardman, the leader, said: "The money has to be spent by March 2015 and it gives me great pleasure to accept it.

"We received the largest amount of grant per-kilometre of road in the country, which will help us either repair potholes or stop them from forming in the first place.

"We believe our methods are the way to go as prevention is better than cure."

In Worcestershire it will help repair an estimated 63,000 potholes.