A ROW has broken out between two councils over whose responsibility it is to clean up a roadside strewn with rubbish.

Durham County Council and Sedgefield Borough Council are in dispute over the clearing of garden waste and litter dumped near Sedgefield village.

Residents have been complaining for years about travellers camping in Beacon Lane and have campaigned for the road to be closed to traffic.

But the county council has consistently resisted calls for a lockable barrier, with leader and local member Ken Manton coming in for strong criticism for refusing to back residents.

Villagers say the mess left behind after the latest visit is worse than ever and have called a public meeting to discuss ways of dealing with the problem.

Coun Manton said it was the borough council's responsibility to clear away garden rubbish left by unscrupulous garden tidy-up traders.

But he said because the borough council did not move quickly enough, the county had done the job and would be ending the borough council the bill. Much of the waste will be recycled. Coun Manton also laid some of the blame with village residents for using the services of door-to-door traders offering to cut lawns and hedges without asking how they intend to get rid of the waste.

Sedgefield Borough Council leader Bob Fleming said the authority had helped to remove litter and refuse.

But he added: "It was reasonable for the county council to foresee what would happen at Beacon Lane and more action should have been taken to stop the anti-social behaviour and reduce its consequences.

"Because of this it may be considered that the county council have knowingly permitted waste to be deposited on land in their occupation."

He called on Coun Manton to take action to resolve the problems of anti-social behaviour in Beacon Lane.

The public meeting on the problems at Beacon Lane will be held today (3rd June), in Sedgefield Parish Hall from 7pm.