A CHARITABLE group is seeking a judicial review in the High Court against a North-East council's decision not to award it a contract.

Advocacy in Darlington said the town's borough council unfairly and unjustly severed a contract it had to represent people dealing with the authority's social services department. The council opposes the claim.

Chris Close, manager of Advocacy in Darlington, which employs about 14 people, said the organisation tried to bid for the contract when it came up for renewal, but was forced out of the tender process by the council in October.

"Our case is that we are being treated by Darlington Borough Council in quite a low way," he said. "They say we haven't had a contract with them. We can prove we have for the last six years. They severed the contract that we previously had and knocked us out of the tender process.

"They are trying to consign us to history. We'll be asking a judge to review the decision. We think the way we have been treated is a disgrace."

A Darlington Borough Council spokesman said the claim would be contested.