Motorists could be hit with on-the-spot fines if they are caught leaving their engines running while their cars are stationary.

Council chiefs in Darlington are set to introduce the controversial measure in an effort to crack down on drivers polluting the environment.

From early next year, teams of uniformed wardens could be given the power to hand out £50 fixed penalty notices to absent-minded motorists.

The clampdown is likely to have its strongest impact on people waiting outside shops or collecting children from schools.

The borough council, which is working closely with police on the initiative, is expected to approve it in February - but officials have stressed that fines will be a last resort.

Similar schemes are already up and running elsewhere in the country but this is believed to be the first time "No waiting" fines have been mooted for drivers in the North-East.

And if the plan is successful it could well be adopted by other local authorities in the region. A council spokesman said last night: "Where we would like to enforce this would be in sensitive areas, such as the town centre or outside school gates.

"It is a common sense approach that we are planning to adopt and wardens will have powers of discretion.

"First and foremost, it is about educating people that they could be harming the environment by leaving engines running when they don't need to."

The authority is consulting police, bus operators and taxi drivers about the scheme, a final decision on which could be made on February 11.

The initiative stems from new Government legislation to further protect the environment and local authorities are allowed to decide whether they adopt it as policy.

Mick Kennedy, of Darlington Independent Taxi Traders' Association, said cabbies were asking to be exempt from the scheme.

"We told our local council that buses and taxis should be allowed to run their engines during the winter because of bad weather," he said.

"I can see where they're coming from because of the amount of emissions that cars give out, but during the winter I'll be needing to keep the car warm, waiting for customers."