A COUNCILLOR is warning motorists using one of the country’s highest roads to be careful after a council confirmed it will not be repainting lines along it.

Weardale county councillor John Shuttleworth had previously called on Durham County Council to repaint the lines along the five-mile long C27 between St John’s Chapel in Weardale and Langdon Beck in Teesdale.

The council has now released a list of line paintings it will be doing in the area but the C27 is not one of those being completed.

Brian Buckley, strategic highways manager at Durham County Council, said: “We check roads across the county to identify any maintenance requirements as part of our routine inspections.

“Work, including road marking, is carried out on a prioritised basis.

“We have assessed the C27 and it is not currently a priority for re-marking but we will check it again when we recommence our maintenance programme.

“In general road-marking operations are scaled down over the winter period due to the weather conditions.”

Councillor Shuttleworth said: “I think it’s appalling as that is a key route.

“In the dark hours and nights that are coming you can go off the road and not even know about it.

“Those white lines are needed but as they won’t be there I would urge motorists to drive with caution.”

The council has painted or will be completing lines on small roads at Bollihope, Westgate, Brotherlee and along the A689 between Westgate and Daddry Shield and Cowshill to Lanehead.