THE man who has led the region's biggest local authority for the past 12 years, earning the unofficial title of Mr County Durham, has called time on his political career.

At the age of 65, Don Robson, former teacher and professional footballer, has decided not to stand for re-election to Durham County Council and is handing over the reins of power.

Respected by opponents, whom he has tried to include in decision-making, he has also had a high profile with the region's business community.

During the years of Tory Government, the council did not go in for the loud criticism of ministers' proposals that characterised Cleveland County Council, which was abolished in the mid-1990s, following a local government review.

For many people, sports fans in particular, Don Robson will probably be best remembered as the driving force behind Durham County Cricket Club's new stadium at Chester-le-Street and its elevation to first class status.

But the man who oversaw the affairs of what is, in effect, a £500m business with a workforce of 18,000, says bringing new jobs to the county, which is still battling to revive itself following the loss of core heavy industries, was his biggest challenge.

"At the end of the day, jobs are the answer," he says. "We do have some migration of population and the only reason people will stay is if you can give them jobs. When I became leader, unemployment was 13.8 per cent and now it is down to 6.7 per cent.

"The loss of the pits and steel-making has been regrettable because of the jobs that were lost. But we have been able to get more modern and more diverse industry instead of relying on coal and steel."

Born in Winlaton, Gateshead, then a mining village, Coun Robson was brought up with a "very good background, a strong community where we worked together".

A keen sportsman, enjoying both cricket and soccer, he played as part-time professional centre forward for Doncaster Rovers and Gateshead, then a league side in the old Third Division North.

He taught in Blaydon for eight years where he "found many people with good qualities and skills who weren't given the opportunity to move on". "I was determined that people who were disadvantaged should have opportunities," he says.

His political career started on Durham County Council but he served for a time on the now defunct Tyne and Wear County Council, when local government re-organisation took Gateshead out of the county in 1974.

After marrying his wife Jennifer, the couple moved to Medomsley, near Consett, and Don returned to Durham County Council, representing the ward since then. He was chairman of the National Cricket Association and chairman of Durham Cricket Club - he is now president - and felt the county should be among the country's cricketing elite, having produced several top players over the years, including the legendary Colin Milburn.

He says he was "amazed" at the support the region's businesses gave the plan, which centred on the £10m-plus stadium and sports complex on the banks of the River Wear at Chester-le-Street. It wasn't universally welcomed at the time, but even residents who opposed the development, now acknowledge its importance and the benefits it has brought. "It has created jobs and it has raised the county's profile," he says. "It has put Chester-le-Street on the map and is known all over the world."

Finance - or the lack of it - has dominated the world of local government over the years and Coun Robson says he is pleased that the New Labour Government has made money available for things such as tackling repairs and improvements in schools, the result of decades of under investment.

And he says there are many sources of funding now available to try to overcome the problems - many the legacy of mining's decline - in the county's former pit villages.

Local government "modernisation", however, has proved controversial. Critics claim the cabinet system, which does away with committees, increases secrecy. Coun Robson believes an overhaul is long overdue but that it may need fine tuning in years to come.

He also feels more decision-making should be decentralised from London and central government but believes there is still a lot of work to do on proposals for regional government, which could mean the end of one tier of local government, possibly the county councils. "There are a lot of grey areas. I could be convinced if the right thing came along," he says.

Now, he is taking a holiday in Spain but plans to be back tomorrow, the day before the General Election and the county council elections. He would already have retired had it not been for the elections being put back a month because of the foot-and-mouth crisis.

A keen botanist, he plans to spend his retirement walking in the Derwent Valley and making a computer archive of the botanical records he has collated over the years.

Coun Robson is one of 15 councillors - between them they have more than 300 years' service - who have chosen this election to bow out.

Over the years, Labour has established a rock solid majority of 52 seats on Durham County Council. Independents hold five while, between them, the Tories and Liberal Democrats have just two each.

With all 61 seats being contested and talk of a mood of disillusionment with Labour - particularly at national level - opposition gains look likely, but it would be a major upset if Labour lost control of the council.

Once the results are in, the Labour group will begin looking for a successor to their leader. Deputy leader Bob Pendlebury, although 75, is one of the names being touted, with fellow cabinet member Brian Walker, who represents Lumley, near Chester-le-Street, possibly his deputy. Ken Manton, scrutiny committee chairman, and cabinet member Don Ross, of Framwellgate Moor, Durham, are the other names in the frame.

John Shuttleworth, the Independent councillor for Weardale, never shy to highlight any perceived mistakes by the council, says Coun Robson will be a "hard act to follow".

"He is a true professional in every sense of the word. I don't think there will be anybody to replace him. He has charisma and has been a very good ambassador for the authority and for County Durham."