DRIVERS of electric cars will soon be able to charge their vehicles across the county.

Wrexham Council's executive board backed plans two install electric charging points across the area at their meeting yesterday.

It is part of continued efforts to reduce the county's carbon footprint and the scheme will take place over the next two years.

In 2013 figures for the numbers of people owning electric and hybrid vehicles in Wrexham was no more than 4,500 the trend towards ditching diesel and petrol is growing nationally.

New registrations of plug-in vehicles increased from 3,500 to more than 130,000 by the end of last year.

The first phase of the scheme, funded from the council's carbon budget, will see points sited in council-owned car parks at Waterworld, Ty Pawb, Ty Mawr and Alyn Waters Country Parks and also at Trevor Basin at the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.

Then depending on a successful £180,000 funding bid the scheme will be rolled out to include over 10 sites of strategic importance such as Wrexham Industrial Estate and Wrexham Bus Station.

Cllr David Bithell, lead member for environment and transport, welcomed the proposals.

He said: "This is the future. This is a statement from the council, to invest, and reduce our carbon footprint."

Hermitage Cllr Graham Rogers asked whether the charge point would be "managed in-house" by the council or privately run.

Cllr Bithell confirmed that they will not be run by the council, and the authority would be looking for a firm to run it on its behalf.

He confirmed that those parking in Waterworld to charge their cars would be subject to parking charges, and members of the executive board unanimously backed the scheme.