PAVEMENTS and footpaths are in such a poor and dangerous state that a town council could pay for repairs if highways bosses fail to take immediate action.

Manningtree town councillor Mike Dew has called for Essex County Council highways to take urgent action on a number of sites in the town, claiming they are unsafe for residents to use.

Despite some orange paint markings appearing on some of the affected areas last week, which Mr Dew said could mean repairs are in the pipeline, there are concerns not all the potholes will be fixed.

Speaking at the latest Manningtree Town Council meeting, he said: “It is one of the things residents ask me about most often, and if we have reported the problems to the authorities.

“When I walked along the High Street this week, I noticed orange paint, which has also appeared in South Street, so perhaps something is on the verge of happening.

“However, there are problems in the market place and near the Manifest Theatre which have not been marked up.

“Perhaps if there is enough money in the budget, we could even look at funding repairs ourselves.”

An Essex highways spokesman said: “We are aware of the defects in Brook Street and repairs are currently being scheduled to take place in line with our maintenance policy.

“We anticipate these repairs will be carried out within the next three months.”

He added: “Oxford Road was last inspected earlier this month and our inspector identified two defects which did not meet our strict assessment criteria for immediate repair. No works are currently planned for this road.”

Highways defects can be reported by going to essex.gov.uk/highways or calling 0845 603 7631.