LABOUR wheeled out its first big hitter in the Middlesbrough mayoral election last night, showing how seriously the party is taking the threat of Ray Mallon.

Charles Clarke, the Labour chairman who is organising the party's local elections campaign, was shown around a new Sure Start building in the town centre by Sylvia Connolly, the party's candidate for mayor.

"The mayor must show community leadership and have an ability to identify with all sections of the community," said Mr Clarke, whose grandfather was headteacher at Frosterley School, in Weardale.

"An executive mayor must also build up partnerships and not have a single agency approach. People have to be ready to work together, but in many places there's an 'after you, Alfonse' approach where a problem is passed between the agencies.

"We have found that people are more interested than the cynics fear."

He was visiting a £720,000 Sure Start centre in Abingdon Road which has been open a year and is used by hundreds of people a week. It is targeted at pre-school children and allows their parents to access all services - education, health, social services, computer training - under one roof as well as practical facilities such as a creche and a toy library.

There are three Sure Start centres in Middlesbrough and, in her manifesto, Mrs Connolly will pledge to roll out the successful scheme to other parts of the town.

Her main challenger for the position of mayor is likely to be Mr Mallon, the former Cleveland Police officer. Mr Clarke, who was formerly Police Minister, said: "Operation Lancet was of great concern. I'm not going to lay down judgement on Mr Mallon, but I was disappointed that his lawyers delayed the hearings only for him to plead guilty."

Other candidates are likely to include Joe Michna for the LibDems, former Boro footballer Bernie Slaven, nightclub owner Brian Faulkner and charity worker Rod Jones. The Conservatives say it is "very likely" they will choose a candidate soon.