PART of Claypath in Durham city centre will be closed to traffic on weekend nights to tacjkle congestion.

Concern has grown in recent months about the amount of traffic and parked vehicles filling the road on Friday and Saturday nights when nearby nightspots are busy.

From December 5 the stretch of Claypath between Millennium Place and the Providence Row junction will be out of bounds between 9pm and 4am on Fridays and Saturdays and Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

Scheduled bus services and permit holders who live or work in the closure area will still be able to get through.

The Experimental Traffic Regulation Order enables s the police and Durham County Council to monitor the effects of the closure for up to 18 months before deciding whether to make it permanent.

Drivers without permits who attempt to ignore the closure will be prosecuted and may receive penalty points on their licence.

Adrian White, the council’s head of transport and contract services, said: “By closing Claypath to vehicles during the busiest nights we can ensure the safety of residents and visitors alike while making sure the night time economy in Durham City continues to thrive.”

Chief Inspector Andy Huddleston, of Durham Police , said: “I anticipate the changes on Claypath will make a significant improvement to the congestion that has been experienced recently.

“As the police we have played an active role in working with the local authority and arriving at the solution and believe it will alleviate the problems.

“The situation has been so serious that only a few weeks ago an ambulance responding to an emergency call was unable to get through the traffic and this is completely unacceptable.

“ I understand this issue has also caused problems to the residents and businesses of Claypath and as a result we have been working hard with drivers to find a solution to the issue.

“There has been overwhelming support from local people and from the majority of taxi drivers for the road closure at set times. We hope the new arrangement will ensure that Durham remains a safe and enjoyable night out for everyone.”

Durham City Labour MP Roberta Blackman-Woods said: “I think the county council are right to see if this works.

“Residents and buses will still be able to get through but hopefully it will put a stop to the problems