A RADICAL overhaul of ward boundaries, with the loss of several councillors, is about to take place in a Teesside borough.

Following a decision by Middlesbrough Borough Council to go ahead with the shake-up, it is expected to back the creation of a working group, at a meeting today.

The process will begin with a public launch next Tuesday, at which commissioners will invite people's views.

By next October, the commissioners are expected to have reached their conclusions, which will be passed on to the secretary of state.

The review, which will be the council's first since 1976, has been suggested to correct uneven proportions of councillors to ward residents following population shifts.

Middlesbrough's population has fallen from 160,000 to 145,000 in the past 40 years. A change from the committee system to the cabinet system has also meant that fewer councillors are needed.

The commissioners are expected to recommend radical changes, including a significant reduction in councillor numbers.

Among the wards likely to be adjusted, is Newham, which could be divided into two or three smaller parts.

Members of Middlesbrough council's cabinet will be asked today to vote for commissioners - three Labour, one Conservative and one Liberal Democrat.

It is thought that if they can agree on a map for the new boundaries, the Government is likely to adopt it.