Bradford Council is defending itself against criticisms that a road maintenance budget has been raided to fund a war on 'potholes'.

The row erupted after Councillor Dave Green (Lab, Wibsey) was told by Council officer that a footway in his ward could not be repaired due to 'cuts'.

But highways chiefs have denied any reduction in budgets, saying the money can be better used to make emergency road repairs and reflag pavements that pose a hazard.

The Council's highways department has a £2.5 million maintenance budget which is usually split between three areas - general maintenance, non-emergency repairs and emergency work.

An emergency repair might be a loose flagstone, while a non-emergency could be a wall in need of repair. But if a road was 60 per cent in need of work, the general maintenance budget could be used to renew the entire road surface.

This year the entire £700,000 general maintenance budget is being used to bolster the emergency repairs fund which will stand at £1.1 million.

Alan Mainwaring, director of transportation, design and planning for Bradford Council, said: "People are more willing to try to claim against the Council and we need to make sure we are protected against it. If we do a general maintenance scheme, we do a few streets at the expense of the wider network. We think it is better to concentrate on the wider network." Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, the authority's executive member for the environment, said the system may revert to normal next year.

She added: "Any repairs that have been reported as urgent have been done, but the reality is that it has been decided we need to target potholes and tripping hazards on pavements."

But Coun Green, Labour group deputy leader, said: "It is clear from discussions with senior officers that the general highways maintenance budget is not being used for general highways maintenance, it is being used for 'firefighting' as Anne Hawkesworth implies.

"If they are not continuing with general highway maintenance they are going to be storing up financial liability for the future and compensation claims."