A NORTH-EAST council worked alongside the agency hoping to build a deeply unpopular bail hostel - despite publicly backing the campaign against it, it was claimed yesterday.

Last year, Chester-le-Street District Council threw out controversial Probation Service plans for a 25-bed hostel in the middle of the town after residents staged the biggest planning protest in ten years.

But a document, which makes up County Durham Probation Service's submission for this summer's public inquiry into the planning wrangle, claims the authority had been involved in consultations with the service ahead of the controversial site being chosen.

Angry protestors were yesterday demanding answers from the under-fire council.

Jim Greer, member of the protest group's committee, said: "I am absolutely aghast at the suggestions made in this document.

"All along, the public have been assured by the council that they have not encouraged or consulted with the Probation Service."

The 18-page document claims that discussions took place between councillors, council officials and their counterparts in the Probation Service, and the council helped select a suitable site, before the planning application was submitted.

One paragraph reads: "The Appellants submitted the planning application in the expectation that it would be supported by planning officers.

"This view was formed following the assistance that had been offered to the Appellants in identifying the appeal site, and the support which has been expressed, during pre-application discussions."

It also describes a council delegation visiting an existing bail hostel in Cleveland, as early as last August.

In front of 300 protestors at a public meeting earlier this year, council leader councillor Malcolm Pratt told residents that his council had given the Probation Service no encouragement and that he thought there "wasn't a cat in hell's chance" of the hostel actually being built.

When asked if they had helped pinpoint the town-centre site, he told the audience: "We are hardly likely to tell them to put that application in, then turn it down."

Mr Greer said: "I remember Malcolm Pratt delivering a victory-style speech when they decided to throw the plans out last year.

"We deserve an explanation immediately."

Mike Waterson, the council's new chief executive, said: "We want to assure the public that the council will defend the original decision at the public inquiry."

Councillor Pratt declined to comment yesterday.