A PROSPECTIVE parliamentary candidate in the North-East is considering changing her name to avoid confusion at the next General Election.

Roberta Woods was selected last weekend by Labour's 700 constituency members in Durham to succeed the city's MP, Gerry Steinberg, as the party candidate.

Mr Steinberg announced last year that he would stand down at the next election.

Ms Woods beat three challengers from an all-female shortlist, which Labour's National Executive had insisted on to increase the number of women in the Commons.

But it puts the Northumbria University lecturer up against Carol Woods, who has already been selected to stand again by Durham's Liberal Democrats.

She emerged second behind Mr Steinberg at the last election, reducing his 22,504 majority of 1997, to 13,441.

Since then Carol Woods has become one of the Lib Dems' city councillors, after the party swept to power at the Town Hall in last May's local elections.

She is now the city council cabinet member with the finance portfolio.

Her opponent, who is chairman of Labour's Durham constituency, uses her maiden name.

But she is now considering adding her husband's surname to differentiate between the two Woods on the ballot paper at the next election.

"I don't use my married name. My husband is Tim Blackman, but I may have to consider standing as Roberta Woods-Blackman," said the Belfast-born academic, a mother-of-one.

Meanwhile the two Ms Woods must wait to discover who their Conservative opponent will be at the next election.

The Tories are not expected to name their candidate for several months.

Barrister Nick Cartmell, the party's candidate in 2001, has already announced he has no plans to stand again.