MPs have joined forces to demand free bus travel for pensioners across County Durham - instead of journeys ending at district council boundaries.

The Government's £350m scheme for elderly and disabled people comes into force in April, but only provides cash for district councils to provide free travel.

That has raised fears that pensioners in Darlington, Sedgefield and elsewhere would still face a charge to travel to Durham City, for example.

Now MPs Kevan Jones (North Durham), Roberta Blackman-Woods (Durham City), John Cummings (Easington) and Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland) have called on district councils to co-operate.

The MPs said the authorities would share more than £5m from April and already together pump £2.5m into the present county-wide half-price scheme.

Durham County Council has estimated free pensioner travel across the county would cost up to £7.5m per year - which meant sufficient funds would be available.

Mr Jones said: "Many of my constituents regularly travel outside their district - into Durham for shopping, for example - and we feel journeys like that should be covered by a free scheme too."

Mrs Blackman-Woods said: "The Government has assured me that councils have been adequately funded to provide this scheme. Durham City has had a particularly generous settlement.

"A free bus pass covering the whole county would make a real difference to the lives of many older and disabled people."

The MPs said the Department for Transport had encouraged local authorities to work together to increase the scope of the free travel schemes being offered.

Furthermore, the half-price scheme went further than the requirement to provide concessionary travel within district boundaries only.

It also covers journeys to and from other parts of the North-East as long as these begin, or end, in County Durham.