Swindon's roads will benefit from a cash boost of nearly half a million pounds.

An extra £424,000 will be made available by the government during the next two years. In the financial year starting in April, Swindon Borough Council received £958,000 for local road repair work. In April 2001, it will receive £1,307,000 and in April 2002 it will receive £1,382,000.

Julia Drown, MP for South Swindon, said: "The Govern-ment's 10-year transport plan pledged to rectify the backlogs in repairing carriageways, footways, bridges and streetlighting."

This extra money will help local authorities to meet that promise."