COACH operators have accused local authorities of putting money ahead of safety in awarding contracts to take children to school.

The claim comes after The Northern Echo launched a campaign to urge all councils to ensure school journeys are undertaken in vehicles fitted with seatbelts.

Coach owners across the North-East have now voiced fears that some contracts went to the lowest bidder regardless of whether or not belts were fitted.

But local authorities said cost was never the main concern in awarding contracts and insisted safety was a priority.

One Durham City coach operator, who asked not to be named for fear the company would lose future contracts, said: "There are a lot of double deckers in use that haven't got seatbelts, especially on the upper deck because the seats are not strong enough.

"When it comes around to tender time they will accept the cheapest tender, although they will never admit to it."

The owner of a Bishop Auckland coach company said they had lost out on a number of school contracts to operators who used double deckers, which were not fitted with belts.

And one firm based near Darlington, said: "We have paid to have all our vehicles fitted with seatbelts, but then the contract goes to companies which haven't done that.

"If they are serious about safety, they will make sure the children always have seatbelts, but sometimes it seems it is more important to save money."

Durham County Council is one of six local education authorities in the region that does not make the provision of seatbelts in buses a condition of the contract to operate school journeys.

But a council spokeswoman said that when contracts were awarded they gave priority to coaches, which have to be fitted with belts, ahead of buses, which do not.

She said: "We would not award a contract purely on cost alone. There are very few firms now that are not offering belted vehicles for our contract hire.

"If companies are making an assertion that they lost out on contracts because of the price alone, then that is wrong."