LACK of action by Darlington Borough Council was turning its village association into an impotent talking shop.

The claim was made by disgruntled parish councillors, who said complaints about flooding, blocked gullies and full litter bins were being consistently ignored.

The feeling at Tuesday's meeting of Darlington association of parish councils and parish meetings was that villagers were not getting the same return for their council tax as town residents.

After listening to the catalogue of complaints, Coun John McGuckin of Heighington said: "Prior to becoming a councillor I used to think 'Don't they mess about when asked to do something'. But we seem to be impotent.

"Why are we not getting proper funding to do the job? After all, what we are doing is the absolute basics and we are not getting anywhere."

Fellow Heighington member, Coun Peter Smythe, agreed: "We have become a talking shop. Our public bins have not been emptied again and people are putting bags of dog dirt on top. Northumbria in Bloom judges are due tomorrow and I don't relish showing them past those."

Coun Bridget Winfield of Houghton le Side produced photographs at the last meeting for Mr John Ray, highways manager, to illustrate a road which had been flooded for the previous seven months.

"Nothing has been done," she pointed out. "It is summer now and it is still flooding. In winter it ices over.

"We were told last time that it was a minor road and money was needed for more important things. But we pay our rates and it should be done."

Coun Tony Wall of Bishopton said water cascading from a gully down into the village was still running despite a report made in April.

"I rang the council's emergency number last week because there was a danger of a bungalow being flooded."

Coun John Stoves of Whessoe parish said it was shocking the council had not sent anyone out to deal with his recent report of a broken tree branch overhanging the footpath.

"I think this is pretty rotten in terms of health and safety. It could have fallen at any time."

Coun Beatrice Cuthbertson, Sadberge, said the problems raised seemed to be common to most of the villages, but were not being taken seriously enough by borough officials.

In April, the association agreed to ask for a portfolio for the rural areas to be included when Darlington sets up a permanent leader and cabinet to run the borough after a one-year trial