THE rate of investment in repairing and maintaining Inverclyde’s pavements has halved in the past five years, the Tele can reveal.

Inverclyde Council spent just six per cent of the entire roads maintenance budget on footways repairs in 2013/14.

That was down from nearly 12 per cent of the roads repair fund which was forked out for pavements in 2009/10.

The figures were released by the local authority under Freedom of Information laws following a national campaign by the Living Streets Scotland organisation.

Living Streets fear that crumbling pathways will lead to a huge compensation bill for local authorities across the country.

But the council says it is ramping up its investment in footways and is set to spend £350,000 in the current 2014/15 financial year, which is 6.5 per cent of the entire roads maintenance budget.

An additional £100,000 will also be ploughed into upgrading paths in the area’s parks and cemeteries.

Keith Irving, head of Living Streets Scotland, said: “Inverclyde Council appears to have invested variable amounts in footway maintenance since 2009.

“As everywhere in Scotland, we recognise council budgets are tight but every penny spent on improving our footways can help encourage walking, increase physical activity levels and enable vulnerable pedestrians to get around their communities safely.

“Ultimately, that will save us all money.” The local authority spent £173,000 on pavement patch-ups in 2009/10 — 12 per cent of the roads budget. In the last financial year, 2013/14, £250,000 was invested, which was six per cent of the repairs fund.

But the roads budget has risen steeply from £1.4 million five years ago to £2.9m in 2012/13, with even more cash being made available for the next few years.

The council says it is committed to increasing its investment in roads and footways to bring them up to scratch.

A spokesman said: “In February last year the council agreed to commit £17 million over three years to improve roads, paths and street lights.

“Investment specifically in footways has increased for the second year running to ensure paths are kept in a good state of repair.”