PARISH councillors have joined gardeners in their fight to save a village's allotments.

Middridge Parish Council is calling on Durham County Council -the owner of the allotments -to be flexible over the sale of the site, on the outskirts of Middridge, near Shildon.

The county council hopes to close bidding for the site by the end of the month, but the parish council wants to see the deadline extended to keep them in the running.

Councillor Anne Clarke said: "We should be allowed the opportunity to buy these allotments at a fair value, not the £30,000 they are asking for them and a piece of farmland.

"Morally, we should have been informed about the county council's plans earlier and given time to discuss if we are interested and able to buy them.

"At a time when healthy living is being promoted, authorities should be doing all they can to protect allotments, which provide outdoor exercise and encourage people to eat fresh fruit and vegetables."

The county council says that the site, which is used by about 50 gardeners from the village and neighbouring Shildon and Newton Aycliffe, is being advertised for sale as allotments, so there is no reason to believe the buyer would look to change its use.

But gardeners fear that a developer will take over the land and drive them away with high rent and new tenancy conditions with a view to development.

Parish clerk John Clarke said: "Apart from wanting to ensure the survival of the allotments for existing and future gardeners, we have our own obligations to fulfil.

"If there was any change in the use of the land, it would be us that has to provide allotments."

A spokesman for Durham County Council said: "We would be happy to have early talks with the parish council, and the allotment holders once again, about the sale of the allotments at Middridge in order to discuss any points they would wish to raise."

He added: "As the allotments are offered for sale on the open market, we would want to bring this matter to a conclusion by the end of September."