Darlington Borough Council has been criticised after it sent an 80-year-old war veteran a letter threatening legal action over "unpaid" rent.

The letter received by Bert Smith described how his rent was £88.50 in arrears, and if he did not make arrangements to clear his account he could end up in court.

A stunned Mr Smith - who served in the RAF during the Second World War - hit back by claiming he had always paid his rent on time.

The pensioner, who lives with wife, Phyllis, at a sheltered housing complex in Middleton St George, had been forced to begin paying his rent monthly rather than fortnightly.

This was because changes to concessionary bus fares meant he could no longer afford to make the regular trip from his home to the council offices in Darlington to pay the rent.

Mr Smith said: "Letters like this could cause someone a heart attack."

Middleton St George Parish Councillor Doris Jones said: "It was such a threatening, horrible letter to send to an 80-year-old man and his wife, and to close it with threatening legal action is appalling."

Mrs Jones said she could not understand why the authority could not provide a rent collection service for Mr Smith and other residents in the complex.

A spokeswoman for Darlington council said that when Mr Smith switched from paying fortnightly to monthly, he had not informed anyone.

She said: "There has obviously been a misunderstanding and we are sorry if any distress has been caused."