THE recent local elections reminded me of the anomaly in electoral boundaries in the Darlington area.

As a resident of Hurworth village which "belongs to" Darlington Borough Council - it is virtually a suburb of the town and all local services arise from there - I quite rightly can vote in elections for Darlington council members who will have a say in matters pertaining to the village and the town as a whole.

So where is the logic in the fact that residents of Hurworth, Neasham and other rural locations to the east, west and south of Darlington find themselves in the constituency of Sedgefield at General Election time?

The Boundary Commission reviews these areas occasionally to achieve an equitable number of voters in each constituency - but why this odd selection?

Why in a General Election should the rural community vote for candidates far removed in geographical and other ways?

Darlington is "The Gateway to the Tees Valley". County Durham bears little relevance to Darlington (except historically) and Hurworth, Middleton St George, etc, could hardly be nearer to the aforementioned Tees Valley.

The rural votes should not be diverted to Sedgefield, but go to Darlington so we can have a say in electing someone who truly would represent and promote our town and villages.

Nick Blake, Hurworth, near Darlington.