THE Government yesterday began an investigation into the pros and cons of moving some of its departments from London and the South-East to other regions around the country.

Our message to the Government today is that Darlington is a leading contender for such a bold move.

It is not just because of this week's devastating news about the hundreds of jobs to be lost at Rothmans, which will eat into the heart of the local economy.

It is not just because Darlington desperately needs to replace those jobs urgently.

It is also because we genuinely believe that Darlington is an ideal location for relocating a Government department because of its proximity to the A1, the East Coast Main Line and Teesside International Airport.

It also offers a high quality of life, with some of the country's finest countryside a short drive away, as well as boasting some of the best development sites in the north.

The Northern Echo has, for several years, advocated transferring a Government department to our region and now is the time to press harder.

We fully support the case for regenerating other parts of the region but in our view Darlington has a realistic chance of being successful along this particular avenue because of its clear geographic advantages.

And a devolved Government department in the town, with potentially thousands of jobs, would have a positive effect right across the whole of the hard-hit South Durham and Tees Valley economies.

The Government tells us it is serious about spreading wealth around the country to create greater economic balance.

By shifting one of its job-rich departments to the North-East, it would be sending a powerful message to one of the areas it has selected to spearhead its great regional government experiment.

As Sir Michael Lyons begins his review of what the country has to offer in terms of relocation, we strongly urge him to consider Darlington's outstanding case.