Easington district councillor David Taylor-Gooby wants a linking service for Old Shotton residents and somewhere for people to leave their cars so they can easily catch the X10 express service from Peterlee to Newcastle.

Coun Taylor-Gooby has written to Durham County Council's traffic section proposing that land near the Dewhirst Factory, near Peterlee's only bus stop for the X10, be freed up so passengers can drive to the stop and leave their cars there in a park-and-ride scheme.

The X10 Go Northern service stops on the A19 slip road and Coun Taylor-Gooby says residents are having trouble getting to it, especially those coming from Old Shotton.

"I have been approached by constituents saying it's getting to the bus stop that's the problem," he said.

Coun Taylor-Gooby said people in Old Shotton had also complained that there is no bus to take them from their homes to anywhere near the stop.

He added: "If you have a car there's nowhere to leave it if you want to get on the bus. I'm suggesting the council actually provide some parking space.

"At the moment you get on the bus at Peterlee on the roundabout if you want to get up there by car, there's quite a lot of land but no place to park.

"We are trying to encourage people to use sustainable transport and I use the bus even though I have a car.

"Many people use the bus and I would like encourage more to do so."

A spokeswoman for Durham County Council's transport team said: "We have received the letter from Coun Taylor-Gooby and we will be looking at the suggestions and the issues he has raised.

"Once we have done that and considered those issues we will respond to Coun Taylor-Gooby directly."