A NORTH-EAST authority with the highest council tax rates in the country has been criticised for spending tens of thousands of pounds on a new logo.

Sedgefield Borough Council, in County Durham, will spend more than £72,000 on a new corporate identity by replacing its badge with a new design.

The cash will be spent changing the logos on council vehicles, signs and promotional material.

A further £58,000 has been set aside to replace staff uniforms and signs on industrial estates to feature the logo - money the council says would be spent renewing those items anyway.

The authority was criticised for wasting taxpayers money in 1996 when it changed its name from district to borough council - allowing it to have a mayor, rather than a chairman.

This also involved a number of changes, including letterheads and vehicle markings.

At the time, chief executive Norman Vaulks said it would put the authority on a par with powerful councils in London and the South of England, most of which were boroughs.

In the latest re-branding exercise, councillors voted 18 to 11 in favour of the new logo, but the decision was met with contempt by opposition councillors - who said the money should be spent on public services.

Independent Councillor Bill Blenkinsopp said: "It is disgraceful, this money should have been spent throughout the borough.

"People in Sedgefield are smart enough to know who delivers their services and they are certainly not in favour of this needless idea."

Liberal Democrat Councillor Ben Ord said: "This is a staggering amount of council taxpayers' money for a new logo which is boring, unnecessary and worse than the existing one."

The new look logo was created by the council's graphic designer, which the council says was £40,000 cheaper than appointing a consultant.

It features the council name with four symbolic coloured hoops representing the council's key priorities - red for strength, orange for health, purple for prosperity and green for attractiveness.

Councillor Barbara Graham, cabinet member for welfare and communication, said: "The logo is part of our modernisation drive and we have been encouraged to have a clear identity by the Local Government Association and others such as the Improvement and Development Agency.

"We have made a strategic commitment to improving communication and having a consistent visual identity will help local people to understand what services the council offers and the value they get from paying their council tax."

Council leader Bob Fleming said: "We have consulted extensively with a variety of stakeholders, including the public, council staff and members, regarding the new logo and, in the main, it has been very well received."

* The Foreign Office has spent £18,450 on new logos since 2000, it was revealed in the Commons yesterday.