I READ Mr Bowen's letter about the "dangerous state of the county roads" (Wiltshire Times, May 17).

I recognise the need for improvements to Wiltshire's roads. Our public surveys tell us they are a major source of dissatisfaction to residents.

The county council puts substantial additional money into the roads budget this year, and we should be seeing the first results of that soon. The report which Mr Bowen mentioned in his letter concerned comparisons between Wiltshire and other counties. It was based on a survey of performance of all county councils. The state of the roads is a national problem, but it is particularly serious in rural counties like ours.

Most of the money we spend comes from central government, and our share doesn't reflect our needs. We take seriously comparisons with other councils' performance, and the report you mentioned did give a generally good comparison. But the council recognises the need for investment in our roads.

KEITH ROBINSON,

Chief Executive,

Wiltshire County Council.