A video link that will enable people to come face to face with council officials without having to travel is being put on trial.

The scheme has been put together by the County Durham E-Government Partnership, which includes Durham County Council, Derwentside, Teesdale and Wear Valley district councils and Sedgefield Borough Council.

It involves video equipment being installed at community centres, enabling residents, many of whom now find it too difficult to travel to district offices, to "meet" council officers.

The five centres chosen to lead the way are the Resource Centre in Willington, West Cornforth Community Centre, the Voluntary One Stop Shop in Stanley, Evenwood Community Centre and Craghead Village Hall.

Talks have been held with the individual centres that are now working towards the final arrangements in hope that everything can be up and running as early as next month.

Alan Hodgson, director of customer services at Durham County Council, is leading the scheme, which could encompass the whole of the county if successful.

He said: "This is about improving people's access to the services offered by their district councils.

"There are a number of councils involved and all the five centres we have talked to think it is brilliant. People will need a helping hand to use it at first, but it will be easy once they get used to it.

"Obviously, its success will be judged on whether people want the service and come into the centres to use it. If it is well used, we will then want to run it at locations throughout the county.''

The new technology could open the doors of communication to members of the community who may find travelling to their local district offices too difficult, such as people with young children, the elderly and the disabled.

County councillor Brian Myers, who is also chairman of Willington Community Partnership, one of the pilot hosts, said: "This is going to bring the local authorities closer to the community which is the aim of the Government.

"People in deprived areas do not have the money to spend on bus fares to get to their local council offices and this is giving them the opportunity to go to their local centre and contact the council without spending that money."