A COUNCILLOR is to lodge a complaint against his authority to the Local Government Ombudsman.

Liberal Democrat councillor Martin Swainston said he was also going to refer Darlington Borough Council to the Audit Commission over its spending on publicity for a controversial academy.

The Labour-led council wants to merge Hurworth School with under-performing Eastbourne comprehensive into the £25m Church of England-sponsored academy.

The plan has attracted criticism from residents, parents and teachers from Hurworth School, which was ranked one of the best in the country.

Last month, it was revealed the council had spent more than £40,000 on information sessions for the academy. It also dedicated four pages of the council newsletter, the Town Crier, to support for the council proposal, but did not print anything about opposing views.

Coun Swainston, who represents Hurworth on the council, said the Labour-led authority was using taxpayers' money to fund publicity for its own political agenda.

He said: "This is quite a rare step to take, but the council cannot have it all ways.

"I have tried to speak to them reasonably, I am a reasonable man.

"These are all costs that are being met by the council taxpayer and they are not small costs."

The council's Conservative group also wants to retain Hurworth School.

However, the group's education spokesman, Councillor Barrie Armstrong, said he felt that going to the Ombudsman and the Audit Commission at this stage was premature.

He said the Conservative group had already asked for the matter to be considered at the resources scrutiny committee.

He said: "We think this is the right way to take it and then make a judgement about whether it should or should not go to the Ombudsman or the Audit Commission. Obviously we have concerns about the Town Crier and also how it is being financed. We feel that by going to the scrutiny committee, if it has got to be referred on, we will end up with a positive result rather than a short-term shock."

Ian Holme, from the campaign group Share, which is backing the retention of Hurworth School, said: "I welcome this -what is happening is abusing the local authority's power.

"It would be alright having information sessions if they were balanced and gave equal opportunities for all views to be expressed.

"It is the equivalent of having a party political broadcast at election time from only one party."

The council declined to comment.