CAMPAIGNERS in favour of a regional assembly for the North-East have insisted that the body will be based in an existing building in Durham City - in the face of claims that it is "inevitable" that the assembly would create an expensive new home for itself.

Yes4theNorth-East yesterday revealed three possible Durham homes for the assembly - County Hall, Byland Lodge and Millburngate House - and dismissed as misleading claims that a new home for the assembly would have to built from scratch, at taxpayers' expense.

Although it is up to members of any new assembly to decide where its base will be, it looks increasingly certain that it would be in Durham City, to help overcome accusations of Tyneside bias.

Yesterday, North East Says No raised the spectre of the Scottish Parliament, which finally opened at the weekend after running ten times over budget.

The No campaigners said it was inevitable that a North-East assembly would demand a new building, with facilities such as committee and conference rooms, banqueting suites and restaurants, which would present an image on the national stage.

North East Says No chairman John Elliott said: "Politicians always create luxurious new buildings for themselves with all the best facilities.

"We've seen it right across the country.

"The trouble is, these new buildings always cost a fortune and it would be the people of the North-East that would pay.

"We would be creating the ultimate talking shop - a new building that would generate tonnes of irrelevant paperwork but which had no power to do anything to benefit ordinary people."

However, Yes4theNorth-East, whose board has voted in favour of utilising an existing building in Durham, dismissed the claims.

Campaign director Ross Forbes, who said his own preference was for the assembly to be in Millburngate House, said: "Nobody wants to see a new building built to house a regional assembly, so to describe it as inevitable is just ludicrous.

"The No campaign is once again trying to deceive the North-East public.

"There is substantial office space available here in Durham to meet all the needs of a regional assembly. You would have to be mad to suggest creating a new building."

Middlesbrough Mayor Ray Mallon, a leading Yes campaigner, said yesterday: "I don't think offices will need to be built.

"I know there are enough places in Durham.

"It's a central location and accommodation should be easily found."

Last month, Local Government Minister Nick Raynsford dropped broad hints that Durham was emerging as the front runner as a venue for the assembly, an option which already has the backing of a majority of the region's council leaders.

It is expected that the assembly's home will need to accommodate between 100 and 200 staff as well as offices for the 25 elected members.