LOCAL authorities are locked in a dispute with Government officials over plans to house hundreds of asylum seekers in the region.

As part of a survey, the Home Office has asked councils to consider whether they can house more asylum seekers.

The move follows claims that too many refugees were being housed in the South.

The North-East has been designated as an asylum seeker cluster area - defined by the Home Office as a suitable area to house refugees.

However, while each local authority in the North-East has taken part in the review, none are actively looking to increase their asylum seeker quota.

Local authorities in North Yorkshire last night said they had not been approached to take part in the review.

The findings are being collated by Government officials to determine the numbers that could be housed.

In some cases, it could mean a massive increase. The Northern Echo understands the survey has found the capacity is many hundreds more than the 3,935 present in the North-East.

Last year alone, the UK received 33,930 asylum applications.

Two meetings have been held, in May and June, to establish links with North-East local authorities and community groups in preparation for future asylum seeker dispersal.

Middlesbrough Borough Council said it had already exceeded its capacity of 600 asylum seekers. A spokesman said: "We are not anticipating any more."

A meeting was held earlier this month in Darlington with the borough council and community representatives.

The Northern Echo understands the meeting decided that it was not feasible for a significant increase to be made to the town's refugee population of 35.

A spokeswoman said: "Our response will ensure good community relations are preserved."

A spokesman for Hartlepool Borough Council said it had 15 houses across the town so would not be bidding for any more.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council said that as its asylum seeker capacity was 450, it could accommodate another 100 arrivals.

Newcastle City Council said some of its 360 refugee-designated properties were empty.

National Asylum Support Service statistics show that Middlesbrough has 620 asylum seekers, Stockton 320, Redcar and Cleveland 315, Hartlepool 30, Sunderland 390 and Newcastle has 1,320.

A Home Office spokesman said last night: "The Home Office is trying to determine what its capacity for housing asylum seekers is for the future, so, if the worst case scenario came about, the burden can be shared across the whole country.

"Realistically, there will probably be some movement in the future, but we are not talking about a massive influx now.