PROBLEMS over a shortage of student accommodation in Durham has sparked a war of words between an MP and a council leader.

Following a meeting with Durham University officials, MP Gerry Steinberg said he was more hopeful that the accommodation crisis was being tackled.

But the MP's view that some members of Durham City Council's ruling Liberal Democrats were taking advantage of the growth in student landlord numbers sparked an angry response from councillors.

The Labour MP for Durham had hit out at the university after it enrolled 200 more students than expected.

He said the move would worsen a deteriorating situation in which property prices were spiralling out of the reach of residents as houses were bought to rent.

The university defended its position by announcing the appointment of a team of designers to draw-up plans for a £35.5m, 600-bed college with two extensions to existing colleges, to provide 1,000 student rooms.

After meeting Vice-Chancellor Sir Kenneth Calman, the MP said: "I am more hopeful that the matter is being taken seriously and the university appears committed to tackling some of the difficulties which are apparent.''

Mr Steinberg refuted suggestions by some Durham City councillors that the situation was a result of Labour policy, which ordered universities to take on more students or lose funding.

Mr Steinberg criticised a number of city councillors who had become landlords.

He said: "We have city councillors benefiting from the current lack of university accommodation, who are making a healthy profit by letting properties to students.''

Leader of Durham City Council, Councillor Sue Pitts, said this was "a mean-minded personal attack''.

She said she had made no secret of the fact that she owned two properties, which she let out to students, and added that there had been Labour councillors before her who had also been student landlords.

The council was committed to working with the university to solve the city's accommodation problem, she said.