Council bosses in Durham said cash from a city centre traffic levy would help subsidise local bus services.

But now they admit they underestimated the number of motorists who would be deterred by the £2 fee to use the cathedral area of the city.

Figures show that since congestion charging began in the city, revenue is £5,000-a-week less than expected.

'Making money'

From 1 October, motorists were charged £2 for access to Saddler Street - a narrow road which runs through the heart of the historic city of Durham.

Traffic bosses expected up to 1,000 vehicles to pay up every day, around half the previous number which used the area.

But the numbers have gone down to between 300 and 400.

A Durham County Council spokeswoman said: "The object of the exercise was not all about making money. It was all about cutting the amount of vehicles.

"We were getting between 3,000 and 4,000 cars using the peninsula every day, with between 1,500 and 2,000 using it at the times the toll is operational.

"We did expect to halve the number of vehicles driving on to the peninsula between 1000 GMT and 1600 GMT, but the amount is much less."

'Big difference'

The council hoped the toll would help finance a shuttle bus service linking the castle and cathedral World Heritage Site with main car parks, the bus and railway stations, and subsidise a shop mobility project for disabled people.

Independent Durham County Councillor John Shuttleworth said: "I am delighted traffic has been cut, which was the main objective, but I would have thought the predictions would have been more accurate.

"There is an awful big difference in revenue between a reduction in traffic of 50% to that of 90%."

Roger Cornwell, chairman of the City of Durham Trust, said: "It is extremely rare to see any passengers on the shuttle buses. But I would hope the county council will persevere with them."

The £2 charge covers all vehicles using Saddler Street and Market Place between 1000 BST and 1600 BST, Monday to Saturday.