A leading walkers' group today accused Bradford Council of 'dragging its heels' over improvements to footpaths in the district.

Ramblers Association chief executive Nick Barrett condemned Bradford's record as it emerged the Council is still well down a league table of access to public rights of way.

According to the latest statistics, only 53 per cent of rights of way in the district are 'easy to use', compared with a national average of 63 per cent.

The figures leave the authority 22nd in a table of 34 councils.

Mr Barrett, who is to address the West Riding branch of the Ramblers Association in Ilkley on Saturday, said there was still "much to be done" to improve access to footpaths.

"The Ramblers' Association is working to ensure that 85 per cent of England's footpaths are properly maintained and free from obstruction by 2007," he said. "Some local authorities, such as Bradford and Calderdale, are still dragging their heels.

"These authorities should realise walking is a very popular activity with virtually all age groups, and that good footpaths are a recreational asset for ratepayers."

A spokesman for Bradford Council said it had set its own target of achieving good access to 75 per cent of rights of way by 2006.

Danny Jackson, Bradford Council's Countryside and Rights of Way service manager, said: "Under our own plans we have set a target of 75 per cent of our footpaths being 'easy to use' by 2006/7 with the resources we have at the moment.

"We feel this is a realistic target with the funding we have available and will help us reach the Audit Commission's standards."

But Keith Wadd, secretary of the West Riding area of the Ramblers' Association, said it was a question of giving the department sufficient cash to carry out the work.

"I cannot see that things are going to improve in the immediate future," he said. "The Coun-cil has looked after its honeypot sites, but there are a lot of others in a poor condition."

He said footpaths in the Haworth, Keighley and Oxen-hope areas were among those in desperate need of attention.

"At the moment, if you want to take a map and find a public right of way, then it is a real initiative test," he said.