A £50,000 scheme to improve Spennymoor's footpaths and bus stops and to encourage drivers to leave their cars at home starts next week.

The work, funded by Durham County Council, will involve installing footpath links to bus stops in the town.

Seven paths are being installed between Tangmere and Thirlmere and Ellesmere and Grasmere, on the Greenways Estate.

Kerbs will be lowered to allow disabled access to the footpaths, and at bus stops the kerbs will be raised to allow easy access to buses.

Work is expected to take five weeks.

Chris Tunstall, the council's director of environment and technical services, said: "If we want to achieve our aim of encouraging greater use of public transport then we have to make it more accessible and more attractive.

"Schemes such as this are instrumental in getting people to think twice about using their car to make a journey."

Anyone wanting more information about the scheme can call Jeanette Armin at Durham County Council on (01388) 602028.