TWO North-East towns have been confirmed as among 26 battling to be granted city status as part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations next year.

Middlesbrough and Gateshead are hoping to be chosen after submitting applications last month.

Sunderland is also one of 12 cities which have submitted applications for the right to appoint a lord mayor, or in Scotland, a lord provostship.

It was announced last year that one new city would be created to mark the Queen's 60 years on the throne.

City status is granted only rarely, with the last civic honours competition to mark the Golden Jubilee in 2002 resulting in Preston, Stirling, Newport, Lisburn and Newry becoming cities and Exeter acquiring a lord mayor.

Cabinet office minister Mark Harper said: "This is a magnificent response to the competition and it is clear an impressive amount of effort has gone into all the applications that have been submitted.

"The process of assessing the entries will begin shortly. Careful consideration will be given to all applications, after which ministers will formally provide their advice to Her Majesty, as such honours are awarded under royal prerogative.

"The results are expected to be announced early in 2012."

The 26 towns applying for city status are: Bolton, Bournemouth, Chelmsford, Colchester, Coleraine, Corby, Craigavon, Croydon, Doncaster, Dorchester, Dudley, Dumfries, Gateshead, Goole, Luton, Medway, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Perth, Reading, Southend, St Asaph, St Austell, Stockport, Tower Hamlets and Wrexham.

The 12 cities applying for a lord mayoralty are: Armagh, Cambridge, Derby, Gloucester, Lancaster, Newport (Gwent), Peterborough, Salford, Southampton, St Albans, Sunderland, and Wakefield.