SCHOOL special needs staff are facing redundancy because of a funding shake-up, a union is warning.

Redundancy notices were issued in May to 51 staff working with children with special needs in primary schools across County Durham.

The move followed a change in the way special needs staff were funded as money was given to schools directly rather than being spent from County Hall.

Unison is urging the council to rethink the move, which it says will lead to redundancies.

While the council hopes to avoid compulsory redundancies by finding staff alternative jobs - 26 are said to be still at risk - the union says some are in areas unsuited to the threatened staff.

Unison regional officer Howard Pink said: "This is a ridiculous and cruel situation. We still have members facing unemployment at the end of August, while the fund that could secure their futures are being put to no good use.

"The county council and its schools stand to lose some very skilled and experienced staff here.''

But the council's deputy education director Neil Charlton said he was confident staff would be found jobs.

"Unison's own figures show that, as of yesterday, in the last eight working days alone, the number of staff at risk fell from 51 to 26.

"We are confident that, with three-and-a-half weeks of the term left, posts will be found for the remaining staff.''

Cabinet member for education Councillor Neil Foster said: " Of course, we agree it would be a waste of qualified staff if any were to be made redundant and that is why we have established a special staff team to broker agreements between schools on the employment of special needs assistants.''