ROAD safety fears could spell the end for traditional funfairs which attract thousands of people to two dales villages every autumn.

For centuries, visitors have flocked to Weardale to enjoy stalls and rides set up in the streets of Wolsingham and Stanhope.

Dales groups recently bought an ancient charter which, auctioneers claimed, granted Stanhope the right to hold a fair "forever".

But this year's fairs, at the start of September, could be scuppered by a row over the cost of providing traffic lights and barriers in the village centres.

Highway authority Durham County Council and Durham Constabulary appealed to Wolsingham and Stanhope Parish Councils yesterday to help meet the bill.

Meanwhile, council officers visited Wolsingham to investigate whether the fair could be moved from the market place to the village recreation ground.

Both parish councils say they should have been contacted much earlier and have called special meetings to decide what to do.

Wolsingham council, which owns the market place, has written to fairground operators to ask them to pay the £1,000 bill in return for a rent-free weekend.

But Stanhope council's chairman, Mark Oliphant, says residents will not expect the parish council to pay.

Chris Tunstall, Durham County Council's environment and technical services director, said: "No one wants to stop local people having fun at the fairs, but there are now deep concerns about public safety as the fairs spill on to very busy roads which are used by buses and heavy haulage vehicles."

Wolsingham parish councillor Vere Shuttleworth said: "This would mean paying £1,000, which is a tenth of our precept. We can't afford it."

Councillor Oliphant said: "Durham County Council owns the land at Stanhope. It should pay for it.

"There was plenty of room until they did the market place up and reduced the width of the road."

Chief Inspector Dave Pickard, operations manager for the Wear and Tees police division, said: "We have serious concerns with regard to safety as far as the fairs are concerned because they spill on to roads and are real dangers to members of the public."