A NORTH-EAST town has shown its hand in a bid to secure the country's first super-casino.

Officials in Middlesbrough have launched a campaign to secure £150m of investment by creating a Las Vegas-style gamblers' paradise, which could create up to 2,000 jobs.

The planned site is on part of the town's former docklands area, Middlehaven, which is undergoing a multi-million pound transformation.

The public's views on the plans are believed to be key to its success.

The men behind the project - Tees Valley Regeneration (TVR) chief executive Joe Docherty and Middlesbrough Mayor Ray Mallon -are intent on convincing the Government that Middlesbrough has what it takes to provide a super-casino.

Mr Docherty said: "The process we have begun is to show a commitment to the Government that we are ready to do business. A regional casino in the heart of Middlesbrough will complement the area and attract people from across the country."

The town will be up against competition from the likes of Blackpool, Glasgow, Newcastle and Leeds.

Mr Docherty said: "The Middlehaven site is ready to be developed. Some of the other towns and cities bidding for a super-casino do not actually have a site to put one on, so we feel we are in a very strong position and we intend to make a watertight case for the Tees Valley."

Three high-profile international groups have been invited by TVR to prepare detailed proposals for the north side of Middlehaven Dock.

Submissions will be made by Christmas and a decision on which to support is expected to be taken by TVR by spring.

Entertainment, restaurants and bars would be provided in the plans, with gambling tables and gaming machines taking up only a minority of the space. The three bidding companies have also been asked to include plans for a hotel and a 10,000-seat arena.

Mr Mallon said: "People want the buzz of gambling.

"Opportunities like this do not come along very often; we must grasp it with both hands."

Yesterday's launch was the beginning of a campaign to gather public support to show the Government that the community is backing the project.

Support can be registered on the TVR website at www. teesvalleyregeneration.co.uk