A DEADLINE has been set for a decision on whether to install a seasonal ice-rink in Spennymoor this year.

Sedgefield Borough Council said the town's ice-rink and German market set up, in the town centre for four weeks over Christmas attracted 4,190 skaters and boosted trade for the town's shops.

The council's head of leisure services, Phil Ball, said the council would eventually like to see similar entertainment in the town throughout the year, and said members of the authority would soon be deciding what to stage next Christmas.

He said: "A decision has to be taken fairly soon - I would suggest certainly by the end of April - as to whether we are going to repeat the exercise at the end of the year."

He said the council was generally pleased with the project, but there was a poor take-up of stalls and the project cost the council more than it intended, at £28,900.

But Spennymoor Liberal Democrat opposition councillor Ben Ord said he would like to have seen money spent on something more permanent for the town centre, or ploughed into existing grants to improve shop fronts.

He said: "Some people in Spennymoor welcomed the market, but I think there should have been more consultation on it."

Mr Ball agreed, in part, saying: "We should not just look at regeneration of the town centre and entertainment at Christmas - we would like that kind of entertainment programme as an ongoing project over the year.