VOTERS in Newcastle decisively rejected the idea of a directly elected mayor for the city.

There was a 62 per cent majority for the "no" vote in Thursday’s referendum - but only 32 per cent of of the electorate took the trouble to vote.

The "yes’’campaign polled 24,630 votes but the "no" side garnered 40,089.

Yes Campaign leader Brian Moore said: "We simply did not have enough time from when the legislation was passed to the referendum being held

"We simply did not get our message out to enough people."

Mr Moore said that on the doorstep the campaign won over people initially resistant to the idea, but it did not reach enough of them.

"Unfortunately we didn’t press enough flesh,’’ he added.

No Campaign co-organiser David Faulkner, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Newcastle City Council, welcomed the result.

"I am pleased because I think it would have been a regressive path to go down.

"I don’t think there are any advantages for Newcastle, or any other major cities.

"I think it would have cost a lot more and I think it would have created, potentially, problems around local democracy as it has in North Tyneside - a Conservative mayor, Labour council, competing mandates, gridlock.

"We don’t want to see that in Newcastle.’’

Of the ten cities voting on the issue, so far only Bristol has come out in favour.