HER Majesty’s Revenue Customs (HMRC) has been blasted as “economically illiterate” over its decision to close several tax offices in the North-East.

Middlesbrough Mayor Dave Budd said the retention of the 700 posts split between offices in Middlesbrough and Thornaby was a necessity given recent private sector job cuts at SSI, in Redcar, and the Boulby Potash Mine.

HMRC said the move to close its “expensive, isolated and outdated” offices and move staff to a modern, cost effective regional centre in Newcastle supported the Government’s ‘Northern Powerhouse’ plans.

But Councillor Budd said: “This is unforgiveable and economically illiterate. The Government can and should relocate such civil service employment to our area not just take it away.”

Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald said it was “vindictive and breathtakingly short sighted” for the Government to visit more job losses on the town and said he would fight the closures tooth and nail.

He said: “Why is it that regional centres in North-East terms always means the loss of Teesside jobs and the concentration of such employment to Tyneside?

“It is never the other way round.

“The transport infrastructure between Tyneside and Teesside is so hopeless the journeys simply become unbearable."

Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland MP Tom Blenkinsop said HMRC could, instead, site one of its new regional hubs on Teesside.

He said: “Teesside has just endured a tsunami of job losses. This would allow for some expansion at a time when the news elsewhere is of contraction.”