A TOWN could soon be the first in the North to have an elected mayor.

Residents of Hartlepool are interested in the idea of having a mayor who is more than a tape-cutting ceremonial figurehead.

What is unknown at the moment is whether the community wants an American-style mayor running the town, passing on instructions through a council manager, or a mayor working with a cabinet of councillors of his or her choice.

The council is likely to go out to a second round of public consultation to determine which option people prefer, with a public referendum in March.

The proposal for further consultation will be put to the council's strategy board by the council's chief executive, Brian Dinsdale, on Monday.

He said in a report to the board: "The first stage of consultation in Hartlepool had indicated broad support for a directly elected mayor, which must be tested by way of a referendum of the whole community before such a change can be introduced.

"In the event of the public failing to support a directly elected mayor in a referendum, a leader and cabinet system would be introduced as the fallback proposal.''

He said that the first consultation results were inconclusive as to which of the two mayoral options should be the subject of a referendum - only one option could be put forward at the referendum stage.