The leader of the Northern Liberal Democrats has attacked the "hidden bureaucracy" which controls around £10bn of public spending in the North-East.

As the party gathers for its regional conference in Gates-head this weekend, Councillor Chris Foote Wood has published a dossier, called Land of the 100 Quangos, in which he identifies more than 170 unelected bodies which operate in the North-East.

Their massive spending budget should be under the direct control of an elected regional assembly, he said.

Public spending in the region totals £12.5bn, but only £2.5bn is handled by local authorities.

"The people of the North-East have no say over 80 percent of total public spending in the region," he said.

The Government Office for the North-East spends £500m, the regional development agency, One NorthEast, £177m, and health authorities £416m.

The remaining £9bn is spent directly by Government departments, and by more than 100 Government-appointed bodies.

They include road and transport authorities, local offices of agencies such as English Nature and the Community Fund.

There are 71 Government Office North East "partnerships", including local task forces and housing forums.

Coun Foote Wood said: "The decisions on how this money is allocated are made by senior civil servants in Westminster and Newcastle, and by the quango boards.

"All are appointed, directly or indirectly, by Government ministers, and are responsible to them.

''Virtually none of these important decision-makers, whose decisions so closely affect the lives of every man, woman and child in the North-East, is known to the public. Very few ever come under public scrutiny."

He said that there was no overall strategy or policy for the region, and all should be brought under the control of a single, strategic decision-making body based in the region.