A COUNCIL has been ticked off for using a Government logo on advertisements putting its case ahead of November's referendum on local government reorganisation.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) has contacted Durham County Council asking it to remove the logo from its literature, saying it could be misinterpreted as Government backing for the authority's preferred option in the shake up.

The logos of the ODPM and also the Your Say symbol were used on the council's adverts, which have appeared in regional newspapers over the past two weeks.

If the region backs a directly-elected assembly at the referendum, voters in County Durham will be asked to decide between a single countywide local authority or three smaller unitary authorities.

The countywide option is being backed by Durham County Council, while the three council option is backed by most of the existing district councils, brought together under the Local Choice, Local Voice banner.

Councillor Robin Todd, deputy leader of Easington District Council and spokesman for Local Choice, Local Voice, which favours the three-council option, said: "We are absolutely disgusted at the approach of the county council in using the logo without authorisation."

However, a spokesman for Durham County Council said: "The ODPM asked us not to use the logo any more and we were happy to oblige - end of story."