CAMPAIGNERS fighting to keep rural ambulance stations fear closures could be a "done deal", even though their future is not due to be decided until the end of the year.

St John's Chapel, in Weardale, and Middleton-in-Teesdale, both County Durham, could be sold off by the North-East Ambulance Service and crews transferred to Stanhope and Barnard Castle respectively.

The ambulance service's draft financial strategy for the next three years includes nine such potential ambulance station sell-offs, including Crook and Hartlepool.

The stations were granted a year's stay of execution in November to see how a new system of 24-hour cover worked.

But now campaigners fear documents leaked to Durham County councillor for Weardale, John Shuttleworth, suggest the stations will close.

He said: "The trust consulted the people and they said they wanted to keep them because they do not want to lose the cover they have now.

"The trust said in November it would review the situation after 12 months and after just 11 weeks, they are talking about selling the stations off."

Richard Betton, Teesdale district councillor for Middleton-in-Teesdale, said: "If the report does say this, then it would be possible to read into it that the decision is already made.

"Too much consultation nowadays seems to be token consultation. They go through the process and do what they were going to do anyway. I find that an insult to my intelligence.

"If they are going to provide a proper service, they should stick to the commitment they have made to keep the ambulance service up here."

A spokeswoman for the County Durham Primary Care Trust (PCT), which will look again at the issue at the end of the year, said: "During 2006, the PCT undertook a review of rural ambulance services, which included extensive public consultation.

"It was agreed that additional investment would be made into the rural ambulance service in order to end the out-dated practice of standby working.

"Since December 2006, the rural areas of Teesdale and Weardale have received a 24/7 service staffed by a community paramedic and a technician."

The ambulance service's director of finance and performance, Roger French, stressed that the closures were only being included in future planning as a possibility and were subject to review.

"If 2,000 people live in Stanhope and 300 at St John's Chapel, where would the common man put the ambulances?'' he said.

The ambulance service is also planning to sell Hartlepool ambulance service and open two stations serving the north and south of the town.

"We are looking at that more urgently. The ambulance station is really not in a very good condition,'' said Mr French.

The service is also looking at two new stations for Stockton and a new workshop, and relocating Crook ambulance station to Hemlington Row.