THE region should back Darlington as a location for Government departments, a leading town developer said last night.

Elliot Ward, managing director of City and Northern, the company developing the Morton Palms site in Darlington, said the town should be at the front of the queue when a number of Government departments are moved to the regions.

Mr Ward said: "One thing politicians should all agree on is the need to bring more public sector jobs to the North-East.

"As someone who works on projects throughout the North-East, I can honestly say that Darlington is ideally positioned to play host to Government jobs."

He said that City and Northern, as developers of the Morton Palms office development off the A66, would not be working with Darlington Borough Council and One NorthEast to invest millions of pounds in the town if it did not believe in its potential.

The first tenants will be moving into offices in Morton Palms in less than 12 months.

Mr Ward said: "It will be here, ready and waiting for new jobs for the town. I strongly believe we have a great case for making these Government jobs devolved from London.

"Darlington has another major advantage -its transport links. Easy access to the A1 and A19, close proximity to Teesside International Airport and a station on the East Coast Main Line give it a superb infrastructure."

With a population of 98,000, the town was too small to be officially included in a recent report compiled by property consultancy firm King Sturge on possible areas across the country for relocation by Government departments.

However, Darlington was highlighted as one of a number of locations with less than 100,000 people that should be considered.

Mr Ward said: "Availability of quality housing at affordable prices and good schools are factors that weigh heavily in its favour, not to mention the quality of life and the short travel to the spectacular coastline and countryside we all know the region has to offer."

A decision is due to be made soon on whether or not moving public sector jobs out of the capital will improve public services and save taxpayers money.

Mr Ward said: "If it does, this is when the hard work begins.

"Darlington's case for consideration is strong, but it will not be the only town to be in this position.

"What we must all do now is pull together to make sure this opportunity is not missed."