Charity worker Rod Jones says he would not be mayor of Middlesbrough - "if the job was gift wrapped."

Under election law the 54-year-old, cannot on the eve of the votes being counted, pull out of the race to be mayor of Middlesbrough.

But the man who once said he would do the job for nothing now says he would not sign the necessary papers accepting the post even if he was elected to it.

Apologising to all those who have voted for him, the founder of Convoy Aid says he has had a change of heart because, he claims, Labour run Middlesbrough Council has had second thoughts about the powers it planned to invest in a new mayor and has replaced them with restraints.

"As far as I am concerned the job of mayor now is very different to what it was planned to be at the outset," claimed Mr Jones. "The council have decided to take away any powers they were to invest in the mayor. I think they are running scared they would not otherwise be able to control the mayor, should it be someone like me or Ray Mallon rather than someone from inside the council. And I am disgusted."

He added: "I am very sorry for all those people who put me down on the ballot paper as their first choice, but it is a matter of honour. I would have liked to have made real changes in this town."

A spokesman for Middlesbrough Council said: "It would be wholly inappropriate on the eve of an election decision for the council to make any comment on claims made by any candidate."