DURHAM County Council is reducing the age of its £7.5m vehicle fleet to cut maintenance costs.

The authority has 431 lorries, wagons and vans, including road gritters and mobile libraries, most of which it owns outright.

The average age of the fleet is seven years, and the time vehicles are out of service for repairs is causing problems.

Now the council plans to lease vehicles instead of buying them.

The Audit Commission's Best Value inspection team, which gave the council's vehicle management service a one-star "fair'' rating, believes it will improve.

It said costs compared well with other councils and the private sector.

Strengths included fitters' "great efforts'' to keep vehicles on the road, improved workshop productivity and vehicle availability, and reduced breakdowns.

But weaknesses included the length of time vehicles were out of action, the rigid workshop opening hours and the premium charges for out-of-hours work.

The inspectors recommend a more flexible approach to servicing and appointing a customer focus engineer