CONSERVATIVE Chancellor George Osborne has announced his intention to remove tolls on the Mersey crossings – saving Warrington motorists £1080 a year.

Under a deal agreed by the previous Labour Government, both the new bridge in Runcorn, as well as the existing Silver Jubilee Bridge, were to be tolled to fund construction and ongoing costs of maintaining the bridges.

It would mean a £2 each-way cost, with a discount pass for Warrington drivers set to be priced at £90 per month, amounting to £1080 a year.

Halton residents will receive passes so that they can use the new bridges without having to pay tolls and today’s announcement means that this scheme will now be extended to those living in the authorities of Warrington, as well as Cheshire West and Chester, if the Conservatives are elected into Government.

Earlier this month, Labour leader Ed Miliband agreed to ‘review’ tolls on the bridge after the election, but not to scrap them.

Conservative candidate for Warrington South, David Mowat, has welcomed Mr Osborne’s announcement on the removal of the tolls, which will be funded by the Government, if brought in.

"The last Labour Government introduced these tolls, Ed Miliband has refused to remove them," he said.

"I’m delighted that the Chancellor has confirmed that the next Conservative Government will scrap Labour’s tax on motorists and save Warrington drivers over £1,000 every year."

Labour candidate for Warrington South, Nick Bent, has responded to the announcement and has claimed Mr Miliband’s pledge to ‘review’ the tolls has led to Mr Osborne’s decision.

He has also slammed Mr Mowat for his ‘lack of action’ against the tolls after his ‘failure’ to raise the issue in Parliament for more than two years.

More than 600 residents have signed Mr Bent’s online petition calling on Prime Minister David Cameron to do a U-turn and scrap the tolls for Warrington drivers.

"Everybody knows that this announcement should have happened long ago," he said.

"People here are worried about the cost of living and congestion in Warrington, which is why I led the campaign against the tolls.

"Nobody will be fooled by the timing of this – it is only 14 days before the most important election in a generation.

"This is a desperate, unfunded and uncosted announcement - the votes of the people of Warrington can’t be bought.

"Only Labour has a better plan for working families in our town.

"It is a disgrace that the sitting Tory MP has not raised this issue in the Commons for over two years so any credit must go to the hundreds of Warrington drivers and NHS patients and staff who signed my petition and made their voices heard in the local press."

The Liberal Democrat candidate for Warrington South, Bob Barr, has also joined Mr Mowat in welcoming the announcement but raised fears concerning traffic in the town.

"This is good news for those travelling to work to or from Warrington across the Mersey, however it isn’t really enough," he said.

"So long as the crossing is tolled there is a danger that drivers not willing to pay will divert through Warrington’s already congested and underspecified roads.

"If George Osborne is serious about a northern powerhouse he must look beyond his own constituency and Manchester and realise that the mid-Mersey area needs to be properly connected across both the river and the ship canal.

"Only that can unlock its economic potential. We should also not forget that the Mersey crossing is an expensive PFI funded scheme dreamed up by Labour who committed to paying the high borrowing cost with tolls.

"Labour’s campaign to remove the tolls and the feeble promise of a 'future review' do little to correct the original strategic error."