A DRIVE is underway to saturate households across neighbouring communities with consultation documents to give them a chance to speak out over proposed leisure cuts.

Sherburn Leisure Centre is one of six under threat amid recession-driven cost-cutting measures put forward by Durham County Council.

A campaign group has rapidly formed among centre users to fight the plan to close what they say is a well-used facility serving not just Sherburn, but neighbouring villages to the east of Durham City.

The Sherburn SOS (Save Our Sports) group has taken news of a three-month consultation period as a call to arms.

It has already mobilised supporters, centre users from a wider area, in an endeavour to gather a petition of 5,000 names to oppose the potential closure.

Although only several hundred forms were made available to group members as part of the three-month consultation process, they have paid to have 4,000 more printed.

It will enable opponents to the closure to distribute them not just in Sherburn Village, but also to households in nearby communities, such as Sherburn Hill, Pittington, Shadforth, Ludworth, Haswell, West Rainton, Belmont and Carrville Centre users took to the streets to begin the process of delivering the extra printed forms over the weekend.

Councillor Carol Woods, who represents Sherburn on the county council, said: "This is seen as a big asset not only to people in Sherburn but over a much wider area, so we felt we needed to ensure more people had a chance to voice their views as part of the consultation process.

"We've paid to have them printed and we're touring the area to deliver as many as possible."

The prominent Liberal Democrat politician stressed Sherburn SOS is not party-politically motivated, with support from across the divide.

"We're a non-political group, we're really trying to be a community organisation fighting to do what we think best for the community," she said.

Labour-run Durham County Council, which is facing 125m of cuts over four years, has begin three months of consultation over closing leisure centres in Sherburn, Ushaw Moor, Coxhoe, Crook, Ferryhill and Pity Me.

Moves to ensure a wide spread of consultation documents coincide with talks with officials at County Hall, attended by Durham MP Roberta Blackman-Woods, over the potential of a community development trust taking over the running of some of the threatened centres.

Figures ranging from 1.1m to 1.3m are estimated to be saved in running costs if the earmarked centres close.