A COUNTY'S schools have received a cash injection as part of a council upgrade and repair programme.

Government announcements that more cash is available for schools has allowed Durham County Council to draw up a further programme of works.

The authority will spend more than £6.4m of its money in the coming year on a total of 73 schemes at 55 schools across the county.

These include re-roofing works, window replacements, new heating systems and refurbishment. A further £4.8m and £6.1m has been awarded to the council for repair and maintenance in 2002/3 and 2003/4 respectively.

This cash comes on top of money provided by the council for maintenance in those years.

The repair backlog for the current financial year is estimated at £42.2m, but the council said it was confident that figure could be rapidly reduced.

A Durham County Council spokesman said: "Schools can also help by targeting the increased capital funding that the Government has given directly to them, at the repair backlog.

"A total of £9.55m has been earmarked to go direct to schools over the next three years to address capital repairs."