A NORTH-EAST mayor could see his allowance boosted by £5,000 after an independent panel recommended he was underpaid.

Middlesbrough's Mayor, Ray Mallon, is being recommended to receive an 11 per cent increase in his basic and mayoral allowance, taking his total to £55,000.

The proposals, from the Independent Panel on Members' Remuneration, have been made because the panel felt the post of mayor was underpaid.

The report, which will be considered at a Middlesbrough Council meeting next week, also gave consideration to the commitment needed to undertake the role of mayor, the burden of responsibility, and the public's perception of a further rise in the mayoral allowance, only a year after the last review.

The report said: "There was general consensus was that the current mayor has a very positive and high-profile public image. However, the panel concluded that the mayoral allowance should be based on the role of the mayor, not on the performance of any particular mayor."

The panel found the average salary paid to the country's directly elected mayors was £54,000. It also said it will not review the mayor's pay again until 2005.

Councillors will also be asked to vote themselves a ten per cent increase, taking their basic allowance to £5,500