A FORMER Mayor of Worcester has accused the county council of making road improvements "more important" than child protection.

Councillor Paul Denham, Labour's spokesman for children and families, has taken a swipe at County Hall's Conservative leadership by saying they are more interested in potholes than protecting young people.

The remarks have been rejected by leader Councillor Simon Geraghty, who insists the administration has made "a clear commitment" to improve the crisis-hit department.

As the Worcester News first revealed in January Worcestershire's children's services has been graded 'inadequate' by Ofsted in a scathing verdict.

The council has since hired a new assistant director and pledged to sink £3.5 million into it on top of the existing £77 million annual spend, targetting a 'good' grading from Ofsted by 2022.

But in terms of highways, £12 million is going on a two-year 'Driving Home' programme aimed at improving roads near residential streets, and a £5 million kitty has been launched to ease congestion at pinch-points.

The general highways budget has also been topped up by £1 million, taking it to £11 million.

The council wants to break into the top 25 per cent of areas nationwide for roads and pavements within five years by making record investments.

It sparked a debate during a full council meeting, with Cllr Denham questioning the leader about it.

Cllr Geraghty said: "Worcestershire is not unique - I've looked at the data as of the 18th of May and two per cent of councils are rated as 'outstanding' (for children's services), 72 per cent are 'inadequate' or 'requires improvement'.

"You can see how this is a national problem."

He told the chamber the five-year target for reaching 'good' had been decided upon after examining how much time other councils have needed to improve.

Cllr Denham said: "Does he agree with me that members of the public in Worcestershire will interpret the fact there's an aspiration to be 'top quartile' for highways, but no similar aspiration for children's services, to indicate that for this county, highways are more important than children?"

But Cllr Geraghty said: "I've made a clear commitment that we want to be 'good' within five years.

"If you look at the figures, two per cent of councils 'are outstanding', 72 per cent are in the bottom two categories - by its inference, we are looking to be in that top quartile."

Cllr Denham is both a city and county councillor, for the Rainbow Hill area.