COUNCIL bosses reacted angrily last night because they were not invited to a public meeting.

The meeting, called in a bid to establish a town council for the 24,000 residents of Stanley, takes place in the Lamplight Arts Centre, Stanley, on October 28 at 6pm.

Speakers include Andrew North, deputy chief executive of Durham County Council, and North Durham MP Kevan Jones. But no one from Derwentside District Council has been invited.

District council leader Alex Watson said: "It is certainly going to be an exclusive meeting, because it excludes the district council."

Organiser Steve Carr, Labour Party secretary for the Havannah ward in Stanley, said: "Town councils are completely non-political and this will not be a political meeting. We don't want it to turn into a slanging match."

If a directly-elected North- East Assembly goes ahead, local government in County Durham will be completely reorganised - with either the county council or all the district councils being abolished.

Householders will vote early next month on whether to keep the county council as a unitary authority, or dissolve it and amalgamate the district councils into three smaller authorities.

Coun Watson said: "We are very suspicious that this meeting is a week before the referendum."

Mr Carr said: "Whether we end up with three unitary authorities or one, power is moving further away.

"A town council will give people a representative on their doorstep to sort out problems on their doorstep."

Both town and parish councils have very few real powers, apart from the right to levy a precept as part of the council tax.

This is spent on its areas of responsibility, including grass cutting and maintaining play areas.

Mr Jones said: "Instead of moaning, I suggest that Alex Watson should listen to the people of Stanley, which is something he has not been doing since I have been a Member of Parliament.

"For far too long, Stanley's voice has been silenced by Derwentside District Council.

"I want my constituents in Stanley to have a full, active voice.

"A town council will be a way of giving local people the rightful say they should have."