PEOPLE who moan about their council in newspaper letters pages are being invited into the council chamber.

But so far there have been no takers for Durham County Council's offer to let council taxpayers ask questions of cabinet members at its quarterly full council meetings in Durham City.

The Labour-run authority introduced the question time sessions when it adopted its new constitution early this year.

The council's decision to buy home computers for all of its members provoked a flood of letters to The Advertiser and its sister paper The Northern Echo - nearly all of them critical.

Now council leader Ken Manton says people are spurning an ideal opportunity to voice their grievances directly to the council: "There never seems to be any shortage of people willing to write to their local newspaper questioning the wisdom or validity of decisions we take, but so far we've had no takers in opting to raise the same issues in person.

"This is a wonderful new opportunity for local people to engage in dialogue with the local politicians who hold the purse strings to public spending of around half a billion pounds a year.

"I am surprised that no-one has taken advantage of the system to put us on the spot!''

Any member of the public is able to ask up to three questions at any one meeting of the full council provided they write or e-mail notice of the questions at least two working days before.

When submitting their questions, people should give their name and the name of the cabinet member their question is addressed to.

Questions which cannot be dealt with during public question time will receive a written answer.

The council can help with the wording of questions and give advice and information that may help questioners.

Questions should be sent to Bill McKibbin, Corporate and Legal Services, Durham County Council, County Hall, Durham, DH1 5UL.

The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 7, at 10am.