A VETERAN councillor has deemed town centre steps laid only four years ago as "dangerous" and "diabolical" after the taxpayer had to pick up the repair bill for continuing problems.

Conservative councillor Bill Stenson fears accidents may happen during the wintermonths after a series of defects emerged with the steps in High Row, Darlington, which have become loose with up to four-inch gaps appearing.

Darlington Borough Council has been footing the bill for repairs to the Pedestrian Heart since 2008, only a year after the £7m scheme was finished.

So far, the council has paid £800 for repairs to 40 steps.

Council staff are hoping they have found a permanent solution to the problem, by relaying the steps on fresh mortar.

"This has been done to some steps and maintenance staff are waiting to see if it is successful.

However, it is not clear if all the steps will need to be treated in this way.

Councillor Stenson, a builder with more than 50 years' experience, said: "It is diabolical and ridiculous.

"The whole place is falling apart. There have been four inch gaps between some of the steps - you can literally lift them up."

He added: "They will be dangerous if they do come up, particularly if we have another bad winter."

The problem was first highlighted in The Northern Echo in April last year, when it emerged the council had been paying for the repairs since 2008, when the 12-month defects liability and maintenance on the scheme had run out.

The period had been drawn up in line with standard practice, the council said. A council spokeswoman said: "We have removed the old mortar bed and re-laid the steps on a wet mortar.

"We are monitoring the success of this treatment.

"The treated kerbs have been marked discreetly so that we can establish whether the kerbs continue to move. If this treatment does not work, we will look at other solutions."

But Coun Stenson said he thought the taxpayer was getting a bad deal.

"A scheme like this should last a lifetime, " he said. "The old ones never moved."