A PLANNED strike tomorrow by hundreds of bus drivers has been suspended while they vote on new offers.

About 600 drivers with Go Gateshead and Go Northern - part of North-East transport giant Go Ahead - were due to begin a series of one-day stoppages tomorrow morning over a pay dispute.

But they have suspended the action for a week because they are voting today on whether to accept new offers.

Alan Gray, regional transport coordinator for the Transport and General Workers Union, who is negotiating for the Gateshead drivers, said: "We won't know the result until about 5pm. It would be unfair to the public to have a strike without 24 hours notice so we have suspended it."

Mr Gray said the Gateshead drivers were now being offered four per cent over 12 months, instead of 3.3 per cent over 18 months.

But he said many were angry that Go-Ahead directors had awarded themselves increases of up to 17 per cent.

The union says drivers are taking home about £150 a week and some have to rely on Family Credit to survive.

A strike will leave only a handful of services running in the Chester-le-Street, Stanley and Consett areas of County Durham as Go Northern is the main operator.

A company spokeswoman said: "There will not be any industrial action on Friday. We are negotiating with our drivers and trying to come to a solution that both sides are happy with."