THE CONSERVATIVE party's candidate for the Mayor of Tees Valley says he will be campaigning for an area he describes as "Darlington, Teesside and Hartlepool".

Solicitor and borough councillor Ben Houchen said he has "lots of innovative ideas" to put to local people.

"The election campaign itself will be launched in a few weeks. However, hardly anybody knows the election is on, hence I want to point out the areas it is taking place.

"The correct geography is Darlington, Teesside and Hartlepool. This accurately describes the Tees Valley.

"I don't propose any rebranding exercise if elected, that would just waste money on logos, but everyone who lives here needs to know we will have the only devolved election east of the Pennines.

“Darlington, Teesside and Hartlepool have been given a great opportunity for change and voters need to examine the ideas each candidate has before voting."

The 30-year-old, who leads the Conservative group on Stockton Borough Council, said he wants to make “change where it’s needed and continuity where it works”.

A Teesside man, he attended Conyers School in Yarm before studying law and Northumbria University.

He was elected to represent Yarm and Kirklevington on Stockton Council in 2011 and again in 2015, contested the Middlesbrough parliamentary constituency in the by-election which followed the death of Sir Stuart Bell, and stood as a candidate in the 2014 elections to the European Parliament.

He added: "In some areas such as housing, transport and social policy, real change is needed and I intend to outline some of my ideas in the coming weeks. Also, as a Conservative Mayor I will also provide a critical brake on costs, preventing the Combined Authority growing into an expensive and cumbersome bureaucracy.”