DURHAM residents are calling on student leaders to do a U-turn and back proposed tough rules on car use.

The city's university was considering a ban on students keeping cars unless they needed them to get to lectures or to part-time jobs.

The move, proposed to ease parking problems in city centre streets, where many students live, ran into opposition from Durham Students' Union (DSU), which said a ban would hit students for whom a car was a necessity.

Two city centre residents' organisations, the Crossgate Residents' Group and the Claypath and District Residents' Association, are backing the university's original proposals.

They said the DSU should reconsider its position in the interests of the city, the environment and the community.

The groups said most students did not need a car and that walking and cycling should be promoted.

A spokesman for the groups said: "Students are attracted to Durham because of the wonderful quality of the place, but traffic has become a problem.

"Student leaders need to take a much more progressive view of this issue and help to ensure that Durham remains an excellent university city for generations to enjoy.

"We urge them to review their position and to conclude that the university's original proposals are beneficial to the interests of the majority of residents."