WHEN a lot of money is at stake, strong passions are likely to be stirred.

That has certainly been the case over the past week, with Darlington Borough Council and Durham County Council embroiled in a public feud over a costly legal dispute.

The county council was forced to pay the borough council £2.2m after losing an arbitration battle which began in 1997, when Darlington split from Durham and claimed its share of a £12m local development fund.

The county council was also ordered to pay an additional £1.1m interest which had built up over the past six years.

But instead of paying its dues, the county council has appealed against the order to pay interest, which means more public money will be spent on an extended legal wrangle.

We do not blame either authority for fighting its corner. Public money is at stake and both authorities had a duty to their council taxpayers to secure a fair share of the fund.

But the arbiter's unambiguous decision was that it was Darlington's money, so why prolong the dispute at public cost?

County council leader Councillor Ken Manton justifies it by saying that the interest only becomes payable from the date of the arbiter's decision, not from when the borough council first staked its claim.

That is clearly nonsense. Imagine if someone owed you money for six years and was ordered by a court to pay it back. Wouldn't you expect to be given the interest you had missed out on while it was in their bank account?

It is legally the borough council's money, yet Durham County Council has had the interest.

It is nothing short of highway robbery and if he does not want to look like a modern-day Dick Turpin, Coun Manton should accept defeat, face up to natural justice, and give the people of Darlington their money.