THE people of Durham are to be asked to vote on whether they want a directly-elected mayor to run their city.

A referendum is to be held asking citizens to choose between a directly-elected mayor and the current arrangement of a council leader with cabinet.

The decision to stage a referendum was taken by the cabinet yesterday and follows an inconclusive public consultation exercise, which yielded a poor response.

Cabinet members spoke of their disappointment at the reaction to the consultation process.

The council dedicated the last winter edition of its newspaper, Durham City News, to the issue, and followed it up with a questionnaire to every household, in April.

Between December and March council officials made presentations to various groups, including the business community, the voluntary sector and local area forums.

Replies were received from only one in ten of 36,676 questionnaires, and only a slightly higher rate of response resulted from a survey of parish councils and trade unions.

The public questionnaires yielded a majority in favour of an elected mayor, but the responses from target groups and staff came out with a mixed reaction.

Council leader Maurice Crathorne said, given the poor response, the only option was to hold a referendum.

"I don't feel, quite frankly, we could have done any more. Sixty-six per cent of people couldn't remember receiving a leaflet.

"To me, when you put the results together, we must recommend that we go for a ballot.

"I feel we are now obliged to go along that line."

Liberal-Democrat leader Sue Pitts said: "We've had such poor responses we have had to go down this route.

"It's such an important change that I think we have no option.

"It's a chance for people to think about the issues and somehow feel involved.

"It would be wonderful if people felt that they care about it."

Thursday's full council meeting is expected to endorse the decision to resolve the issue with a referendum.