BUS services are likely to be severely disrupted in Darlington on Monday after last-ditch talks yesterday failed to avert a one-day strike.

Stagecoach North East drivers have been negotiating improvements in pay and conditions for almost six months.

But yesterday, union officials rejected the company's latest offer of a three per cent wage increase.

Now 400 drivers operating routes in Darlington, Teesside and Hartlepool will press ahead with a total stoppage from midnight on Sunday, ahead of a formal ballot on the company's latest offer on Wednesday.

While Stagecoach managers will take to the driving seat themselves to offer a limited service on Teesside and in Hartlepool, a total stoppage is expected in Darlington, leaving passengers to make the most of services operated by Arriva, which will be unaffected.

Last night, Stagecoach declined to comment on the impending strike, but an advertisment in today's edition of The Northern Echo warning of the disruption offers an apology for inconvenience caused to passengers.

Allan Gray, passenger trade group secretary with the Transport and General Workers' Union, said: "The company has put an offer to our members that has been comprehensively rejected.

"All we are asking for is for wages to be brought in line with other rates of pay enjoyed by drivers with other companies."

If agreement cannot be reached, and if the drivers formally reject the amended offer in Wednesday's ballot, a series of weekly strikes are likely, followed by escalating action.

Mr Gray said an offer to hold the ballot tomorrow in a bid to fend off the strike had been rejected by Stagecoach.

In any case, he said he was confident of the strength of the support among his members.

"They don't want to let down the general public but at the end of the day they really feel their claim is justified. I've never seen such a clear mandate."

The drivers are also protesting to keep health benefits that are under threat. Mr Gray said these amounted to a 75p health insurance contribution each week per driver.

Strike action in Tyne and Wear was averted last month after negotiations in a similar dispute between the company and its drivers ended with the acceptance of a pay rise amounting to six per cent over 18 months.

More than 1,000 drivers had voted to take action at the height of that dispute.

Mr Gray said drivers in Darlington were unhappy that colleagues on Tyneside earned £7-an-hour, compared with their rates of about £5.40.

He claimed the company had justified the disparity because services in the predominantly built-up areas in the northern part of the region were more profitable.

"Buy my argument is that a bus driver is a bus driver is a bus driver - wherever he is."

The union leader also attacked the decision to focus Monday's emergency driver replacement efforts on Teesside.

"The truth of the matter is that they won't put a service on in Darlington because they don't think they will make any money in Darlington - Arriva is a strong competitor there, while in Teesside and Hartlepool Stagecoach is much stronger," he said.

Referring to the advertisement, he said: "Isn't it a bit two-faced to apologise to the general public and to offer a limited service in one area but nothing in Darlington?

"It's clear their loyalties are to their own shareholders, not to their customers.