A COUNCIL chief has blasted claims made by campaigners fighting redevelopment plans on Teesside as "distorted and exaggerated".

Opponents of the Coatham Links Development, in Redcar, east Cleveland, have produced a protest tabloid, which is being distributed to about 30,000 homes throughout the borough.

The Informer, produced by campaigner Chris McGlade and the Friends of Coatham Common, launches an attack on Redcar and Cleveland BoroughCouncil, attacking its spending decisions while promising to show the "true face" of the authority.

The £55m seafront development will include housing and leisure facilities, along with a visitor centre featuring a multi-purpose dance and performance venue.

But protesters claim the council does not have the funds to carry out the scheme.

Mr McGlade was facing the threat of legal action after his website, launched to share opinions on council activities, allegedly contained defamatory remarks about councillors and officers.

The Informer makes numerous allegations and calls into question the integrity of the council, claims which are strongly denied by the authority.

Redcar and Cleveland council's cabinet chairman, Councillor Eric Empson, said: "It is sad that someone should be so desperate to derail the regeneration of Coatham as to produce so many untruths, distortions and exaggerations.

"The real response comes from independent watchdogs, the Audit Commission. In their annual report on the council, just published, they state that the council has acted lawfully in all respects, and its management arrangements have a clean bill of health. In addition, they have rated the council as four-star excellent and 'improving well'.

"This will not deflect us from delivering a leisure centre with a 25-metre, 6-lane pool, separate leisure pool, floodlit five-a-side pitches, badminton hall, gym, ten-pin bowling, a visitor and performance centre, including a sprung dance floor, extreme sports village, a pub, bingo hall, nursery, improved cycle and pedestrian links."

But Mr McGlade said: "Everything in The Informer is the truth and everything can be backed up by documented evidence, we have proof and witness statements. The council doesn't want that information out. If it was a lie then surely the council would have sent me a threatening letter or something."