A PLEA for a £25,000 grant to be restored to Darlington's rural areas has been condemned as an election gimmick.

Conservative councillors are arguing that the annual grant aid, which was recently withdrawn by the borough authority, should be reinstated in the wake of a £2.2m windfall.

Darlington Borough Council secured the money at the end of a six-year legal battle with Durham County Council, after the two authorities' split in a local government reorganisation.

Darlington Borough Council has already pledged to spend £340,000 on issues considered as priorities by local people, including improvements to parks and cemeteries, as well as the installation of more closed-circuit television cameras.

But Tory councillors are asking for the cash to be used to restore rural grants which many village halls had relied upon.

Councillor Rod Burtt said: "The £2.2m was for the borough of Darlington and not just the bits of it decided by the Labour group."

But council leader Councillor John Williams described the requests as an election gimmick.

"It is ridiculous in my view to bring this up at the eleventh hour," he said.

Durham County Council is appealing against the local government arbiter's decision to also award £1.1m in interest to Darlington council.