MORE elected mayors are likely in towns in the North - despite the embarrassment of the election of a man in a monkey suit in Hartlepool.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott yesterday unveiled plans to drop the "cumbersome" rule that requires five per cent of locals to petition for a mayoral referendum.

Mr Prescott did not explain what might replace the rule, only saying there were "more effective means" of people expressing a view.

The move, part of a wider drive to revive local government, was seen as a way of kick-starting the stalled idea of US-style mayors.

There are elected mayors in Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and North Tyneside, but only 11 throughout the country. Nineteen areas -including Durham, Sedgefield and Sunderland -rejected the idea in referendums.

In a report launching a five-year plan, Mr Prescott said that in some of those 11 areas, the mayors had become a strong focus for change.

He pointed to their high level of recognition, their mandate as individuals elected by a town or city and the stability a four-year term brought.

And he pledged to create "more opportunities for mayors for those who want them, with greater powers to make a real difference". A consultation will be held soon.

The five-year strategy also plans to reinvent local councillors as "mini-mayors" by having only one in each council ward.

The higher-profile councillors, all of whom would be elected every four years, would represent the interests of local people, not only on the council, but for all issues affecting their areas.

A spokesman for Mr Prescott said: "We want people to know who their councillor is, so that person can provide better leadership and so people can get more involved in their community."

Stuart Drummond, who campaigned as Hartlepool United's monkey mascot H'Angus, gained national headlines when he was elected the town's mayor in 2002. In Middlesbrough, Ray Mallon triumphed over Labour.