MOTORISTS are being warned to take extra care this winter amid fears that cutbacks in road gritting could cause travel chaos.

Durham County Council is cutting £400,000 from the seasonal road budget, which means fewer roads and footpaths will be salted during bad weather.

Minor routes, country roads and housing and industrial estates look likely to be the hardest hit, but the authority says key routes will not suffer.

The move will reduce the number of roads salted from 50 per cent to 39 per cent, which is still above the Government's recommendation of 26 to 38 per cent.

Environment and technical services director Chris Tunstall said: "Extra funding had to be found for key areas of social service provision, particularly services for children and older people, and with no other source of finance open to the authority, other areas of service provision have had to shoulder the burden."

When members of Teesdale District Council were informed of the proposal at a meeting of its policy committee last week they expressed dismay.

Works supervisor Paul Des-fores said: "We have written to Durham County Council to find out exactly which roads will be affected so drivers can be fully prepared for the winter."

Streatlam and Whorlton councillor Robin Simpson said he and Councillor Phil Hughes, chairman and Greta representative, were concerned about the effects of the proposal on outlying villages which were commuter villages.

The deputy leader of neighbouring Wear Valley District Council, Councillor Neil Stonehouse, said: "Our members are not happy about this move. I'm sure there will be some problems.

"We have made representations, but the decision is up to the county council and we don't expect them to change their minds."

Jeff Gale, acting secretary of Weardale Chamber of Trade, said: "We will have to see once the bad weather arrives exactly which roads this affects.

"But it could well hinder businesses on quiet roads as staff cannot travel to work, deliveries cannot arrive and people avoid using the roads to reach some business."

Councillor John Shuttleworth, the independent councillor for Weardale, warned that the move would increase hazards to drivers in the dale and other high areas along the North Pennines.

He said: "The safety of the motoring public should be the priority. That is what people pay their increasingly expensive council tax for."