FEARS that the merger of a city and a town could leave other areas of the North-East behind were stoked by a council leader last night.

Development tycoon Sir John Hall is championing the idea of a merged Newcastle and Gateshead.

The man behind Gateshead's MetroCentre described Newcastle and Gateshead as the engine room of the region and he said there may be a case for them merging to become Tyneside City.

But Councillor Ken Manton, leader of Durham County Council, said such a move would leave other areas in its wake. He used the suggestion to reiterate the county council's case for survival under a forthcoming local government reorganisation.

Under plans for a regional assembly, either the county council or the district councils will be axed.

Councillor Manton said the possibility of Newcastle and Gateshead becoming a single "super city" reinforced the need for County Durham to retain a strong voice in any local government reorganisation in coming years.

He said: "It's ironic that, when people are talking about merging these two large urban areas to create an even bigger body, able to speak with an even stronger voice, the district councils here in County Durham want to split the county up into smaller units, each with a weaker voice."

He said the only way County Durham would retain that regional influence was through the retention of some form of countywide local government.

District councils have put forward alternative proposals that would see the creation of three super districts. They say a county-wide council would be too big.