More than £5 million is to be spent on making three of the most dangerous roads in Cheshire safer.

Cheshire East Council is set to secure £2.49 million from the Department for Transport (DfT) to carry out road safety improvements on the A537 between Macclesfield and Congleton.

A further £2.31 million has already been secured to make the A536 safer between Congleton and Macclesfield, while £1.1 million has been secured to improve the A532 at West Street, in Crewe.

Independent Cllr Mick Warren, cabinet member for communities, told Tuesday's cabinet meeting: "As an ex-police officer who has attended many fatal and serious road traffic collisions, I have seen first-hand the impact that these events have on families and communities in devastating fashion.

"Road deaths in Cheshire are on the rise and have been for a number of years.

"I very much welcome this investment by the Government into three of our main roads to try and bring down those fatalities and serious incidents, and reduce the impact that has on our communities and residents."

The three roads were chosen by the DfT following work with the Road Safety Foundation to analyse crash statistics and pick out the most dangerous roads in the country.

But Cllr Tony Dean, Conservative CEC member for Knutsford, suggested many councillors were 'taken by surprise' when realising the cash from Government was going to Crewe, Macclesfield and Congleton.

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He added: "How did these specific lengths of road become the chosen ones?

"The borough has many lengths of road which need making safer in Nantwich, Middlewich, Knutsford, even I believe Sandbach – and there are other towns outside these historic main towns."

Independent Cllr Craig Browne, deputy leader of CEC, explained that the Government chose the roads that were eligible before council officers identified works that could take place on them.