SPECTATOR is as "green" as the next when it comes to recycling and hasn't really got it in for the Darlington scheme - mentioned here two weeks ago, too - but the planned publicity campaign the council hopes will increase the amount residents recycle includes give-away carrier bags.

It's to be hoped these will be the cheap cotton, resuable and even washable, variety and not plastic carriers, which the council does not recycle, though the will is there in the town, as the overflowing bag bank at the newly-opened Sainsbury's store shows.

The news of the campaign has done little to stem the muttering among those who used to benefit from the excellent, and weekly, collections by Treesavers, which did take plastic bags and (a real bone of contention with Darlingtonians) cardboard. The muttering must be hitting home as tale-bearing has a council officer remarking that he was rather tired of hearing about Treesavers (we paraphrase; this is a family newspaper).

Farewell Mr Prescott?

Following the resounding rejection of proposals for an elected regional assembly in the North-East, the political editors were sharpening their pencils and wits to write obituaries for John Prescott's career as Deputy Prime Minister, or any other post else of a senior nature within the Labour Government.

Spectator suggests Mr Prescott may have been written off too soon. He may have got hopelessly wrong with his Draft Regional Assemblies Bill but he's a likeable fellow nevertheless, always calling a spade a shovel.

Breathing the biggest sighs of relief last Friday, Spectator understands, were the folk in the regional development agency - One NorthEast. The idea of politicians interfering with their work filled many with absolute dread. It's hard enough encouraging economic regenertion without politicos arguing the toss

Formerly known as...

Passengers on a flight from Heathrow chuckled when they flew over the mouth of the Tees and a voice over the loudspeaker system said: "Welcome to what was formerly known as Teesside airport." That rather irritating TV advertisement about "Durham Tees Valley" does not seem to have got through to everyone yet.

And when are the powers that be going to get round to changing all the road signs that resolutely point the way to Teesside Airport?

Getting tough

We like the sound of the man appointed to clamp down on yobbish behaviour in Stockton. The new consultant project manager for the town crime prevention panel is called John Tough.