A COUNCIL employee will become one of the region's most recognisable faces, for the next few weeks at least, after being chosen to represent Joe Public in a publicity drive.

Jeff Ledger has spent much of his 36-year career with Durham County Council in relative obscurity as an administration manager in the cultural and leisure services department.

Now, the 53-year-old, from Ushaw Moor, near Durham City, has his face plastered across about 80 buses in a poster campaign urging people to vote in the forthcoming referendum on the regional assembly and local government shake-up.

Mr Ledger has already been on the receiving end of several office jokes following his new role as Joe Public - The Pondering Pollster.

He said: " We are not trying to persuade anyone to vote yes or no in the referendum - it's just meant to serve as a reminder for people to use their vote and to outline the two options that are open to them in the secondary vote on local government reorganisation.

"People have been complaining there is not enough publicity about the issues involved.

"So we're doing our best to help offer them a rounded picture of what it's all about.

"If I can help remind people to vote by November 4 and make them better informed when they make their decisions, then losing my anonymity will have been worth it."

The posters will be on buses throughout the county until October 6.