A MOTORING correspondent's scornful attack on Durham has provoked fury in the city.

Mike Rutherford's rant in the car magazine Auto Express, against the imminent road toll scheme in Durham City, has incensed residents and officials.

In his article the founder of the Motorists' Association and correspondent for Talksport Radio Station describes Durham as a backwater that has "put itself on the map for all the wrong reasons".

He said: "Durham is in the back of beyond, on the border of England and Scotland and should be immensely grateful to anybody who goes out of their way to grace it with their presence."

He then goes on to vow that he will, "never take myself and my wallet to the one-horse town that is Durham for as long as it charges a local tax on drivers."

Magazine subscriber Stewart Bell, a truck driver from Pity Me, Durham, was furious at the outburst and penned a letter to the magazine in protest.

He said: "He's obviously never been north of Watford.

"He obviously doesn't have a clue about the problems of thousands of cars using the narrow street to Durham Cathedral every day. He has a cheek."

Durham County Council is to introduce a £2 charge to drive from Durham Market Place to the peninsula where Durham Cathedral and the castle are situated, to ease congestion and make the roads safer for pedestrians.

The scheme comes into force from October 1 and will help finance a new Cathedral bus service, linking the city centre with car parks.

About 3,000 vehicles a day use the access road to the cathedral.

North Durham MP Kevan Jones said Mr Rutherford's comments illustrated that he had never been anywhere near Durham City and invited him to visit Durham to see why it was considered such a great city.

A spokesman for Durham County Council said: "Mr Rutherford's sad ignorance of the geographical location of Durham mirrors his ignorance about virtually all to do with the city and the access charging scheme.

"Durham is not on the border of England and Scotland and I only hope as a motoring editor his driving is better than his map reading."