LIBERAL Democrat councillors in Spennymoor have pledged to campaign for an extension of a town centre regeneration scheme to include a privately-owned shopping mall.

The party's Spennymoor branch will ask the owners of Festival Walk, Masons and Partners, to work with Sedgefield Borough Council to improve the mall in line with a £3m street regeneration scheme in the town.

The issue was put at the top of the group's agenda when it held its annual meeting on Thursday.

A number of key appointments were also made.

Group leader on Spennymoor Town Council, Liz Maddison, who lives in Parkside with her husband and two daughters, was elected as secretary.

Sedgefield Borough Councillor Ben Ord, of the Spennymoor ward, was re-elected chairman.

Fellow borough councillors Kevin Thompson, of the Middlestone ward, was elected treasurer and Bill Scott, of the Spennymoor town ward, was made responsible for recruitment.