THE Northumbria Tourist Board is stepping up its campaign to force the regional development agency to negotiate over the board's future.

It is to canvass support from the region's MPs and local authorities in its battle to survive.

The regional development agency - One NorthEast - was given strategic responsibility for tourism by the Government last April, with the Northumbria Tourist Board (NTB) expected to play a key role as its preferred partner.

But a very public row has erupted after both parties failed to find a common approach, resulting in NTB holding a series of campaign meetings, one of which was held at Barnard Castle on Wednesday.

Organised by Hugh Becker, chairman of NTB's business members, it was attended by Peter Sloyan, NTB chief executive.

Mr Becker said they welcomed the opportunity for changes, but claimed One NorthEast did not have the capacity or knowledge of tourism within its ranks to deliver. There was criticism of the agency's chief executive Alan Clarke, who has stated publicly that he does not see a role for the NTB in the new order.

NTB is due to receive £370,000 from One NorthEast next year, but Mr Becker called the decision not to approve it "economic fascism."

"It's a case of 'if you don't jump to our tune you don't get it," he added. "But we're not stepping down because it's David and Goliath. The whole thing isn't thought through. You ask about their future plans but they can't answer because they don't know."

The D&S Times asked Mr Sloyan if NTB could survive without the £370,000. It could, he said, but he questioned whether it would want to, seeing it as the wrong direction and last option. One NorthEast was accountable to its board members, whom he said were misinformed and were now facing uncomfortable questions that their decisions, based on that misinformation, had raised.

It was announced on Wednesday that the next phase in the NTB campaign is to canvass local authority and MPs support.

John Sargent, One NorthEast's tourism manager, said it was untrue that the agency would not talk.

"We have been trying for a year, without success," he said. "We could not agree on how to arrange tourism structures and the chief executive felt the need to introduce some clarity."

Accused of not attending NTB meetings, Mr Sargent said he hadn't received a formal invitation, only heard about them secondhand. However, after taking advice he decided not to attend one at Wooler, feeling it had been billed as a campaign to stimulate One NorthEast to change its mind.

He confirmed that Mr Clarke had said he did not see a role for the NTB. But the agency's plans were robust, although it could not work with NTB as it stood.

However, once new structures were created he fervently hoped they could work with staff from NTB, drawing on their 34 years' experience and knowledge.

* Leading article: page 18