CONTROVERSIAL plans to cut York's dog warden service have been dropped by City of York Council.

Labour's environment spokesman, Derek Smallwood, has criticised opposition councillors for using the issue as a "political football."

Early budget proposals included saving £21,000 by abolishing an animal health service post. It currently has three full-time and a part-time worker. The Liberal Democrats launched a campaign to stop the cuts as the council looks at ways to make up a £4 million budget shortfall.

Coun Smallwood said: "As a responsible Labour group, we have waited for our budget settlement from the Government, done our sums and confirmed our initial belief that the dog warden service is under no threat whatsoever. Nobody appreciates our dog warden service more than the Labour councillors."

But they had initially put the proposal on the list of planned cuts. The Liberal Democrat campaign to stop the cut had caused fear for jobs while the future of the service was being decided, said Coun Smallwood. Coun Andrew Waller, the Liberal Democrat's environment spokesman, said: "That is uncalled for. These were certainly serious proposals and it had got to the point where the Labour group was deciding which options they were going for. We were very concerned that the service wouldn't be able to keep up with the amount of work.

"We were not scaremongering because this issue was already in the public domain. I am, however, delighted that the post is going to be saved."

Updated: 10:11 Saturday, February 16, 2002