ALLEGATIONS have surfaced of a race row at a town hall.

Sources claim a complaint has been lodged with the regional Labour Party about racist comments made during a meeting which tackled the issue of asylum seekers.

It is alleged an unnamed member of the Durham City Council Labour group said: "Why don't we give the house to a blackie with ten kids?"

City council leader, Councillor Maurice Crathorne, said last night that he was aware of the allegation but would not comment until a formal written submission had been recorded at regional Labour Party headquarters.

An insider in the North-East Labour Party told The Northern Echo that while a complaint about the councillor's conduct had been received by the party, it had not come from someone who was at the meeting in question.

Members of the regional party now want to speak to someone who was actually at the meeting.

This is the second time Durham City Council has been at the centre of a race row.

Last year, the council's former principal health and safety officer, Mac Williams, received a £6,500 out-of-court settlement over claims that former deputy council leader Mildred Brown had directed racist remarks at him.

The council denied his allegations.