CAMPAIGNERS are urging action after a report showed that a staggering 1,500km of roads across the North-East and North Yorkshire are in need of repair - with the bill estimated at nearly £1.5bn.

Up to 33 per cent of roads in some areas are in need of structural maintenance, according to Department for Transport figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats.

The LibDems immediately claimed motorists, cyclists and pedestrians were being put at risk as the Government focuses on building new roads rather than on essential repairs.

And there were warnings that local authorities could face corporate manslaughter charges if people were killed because roads were dangerous. The maximum sentence for corporate manslaughter is life imprisonment for individuals and and unlimited fine for organisations.

Police are believed to be investigating five councils over six fatal accidents involving motorists and motorcyclists.

The Government has pledged to bring in a new offence of corporate killing, to make it easier for bodies to be held to account by the courts.

However, most local authorities in the North-East and North Yorkshire have far better records than the worst councils, where more than half of roads are damaged.

Bottom of the table in the region is Hartlepool, with 33 per cent of its roads crumbling, followed by York (19 per cent) and County Durham (16 per cent).

The best records belong to North Yorkshire and Stockton-on-Tees (both two per cent), with Middlesbrough (three per cent) just behind.

All those figures are dwarfed by the 64 per cent of roads in need of repair in Oldham. Two other authorities are above 50 per cent, with a national average, excluding London, of 21 per cent.

John Thurso, the LibDem's transport spokesman, said: "The figures show just how much of the road network needs urgent repairs.

"The Government must take steps to improve road conditions as poor roads are potentially dangerous for all road users including cyclists, pedestrians and motorists.

"Rather than funding costly and often unnecessary road expansion, the Government should focus its resources on fixing damaged roads."

A recent survey by a leading insurer found that compensation claims against councils responsible for highways increased by 60 per cemt between 1998 and 2002.

Zurich Municipal claimed it was not uncommon for councils to spend more on defending claims than on highway maintenance. Local authorities in England spent £1.95m on maintenance in 2002-03 - yet they claim there is a £1.1bn shortfall each year in road repair.