THE ballooning cost of five North-East road schemes was blamed yesterday on a lack of skilled managers at the Highways Agency.

A report by the Government's spending watchdog condemned the agency's failure to get a grip on soaring bills - up 57 per cent - which must be paid by local taxpayers.

The Northern Echo revealed last year that the five schemes - expected to cost a total of £47.3m when given the go-ahead between 2000 and 2004 - were now likely to cost £74.1m.

They are in Darlington, Sunderland, North Tyneside, Dur-ham and Northumberland.

The increases do not take inflation into account but - at about 2.5 per cent a year - that would not explain a rise of 56 per cent.

The report by the National Audit Office has called on the Department for transport (Dft) and the Highways Agency to improve the evaluation of costs.

Sir John Bourn, head of the audit office, said: "The agency should make sure that they have sufficient numbers of skilled project management and commercial staff."

Edward Leigh, Tory chairman of the Commons public accounts committee, accused the Dft and the agency of "getting their road estimates wrong by a mile".

He said: The taxpayer is footing the bill for this. The plot's all too familiar with final costs being much higher than originally thought, and many roads not being built to schedule."

A Dft spokesman said: "It is wrong to say money is being wasted. This report is not saying that schemes are costing more than they should do, but that they cost more than we originally estimated."

In the past, the department has insisted local authorities are responsible for any cost overruns once the schemes have gained Whitehall approval.

Last month, work began on the Darlington corridor scheme, to provide access to the Central Park regeneration project, ease congestion and free up land for development in the east of the town.

Work began in September 2005 on the Sunderland Southern Radial Route, connecting the city centre with the A19 north of Seaham, County Durham.