AN official report will today outline how Government cuts have hit councils in the North East worse than any other part of the country.

Councils in the region have seen their budgets slashed by £291m since 2010 because of a cut in central Government funding.

An Audit Commission report will today show that cuts amount to £112 per person in the North East while people in the East of England are losing out on £20 and the South East £22.

The North East historically receives the most Government support outside inner London because of its high levels of deprivation.

While retaining that position, it has seen a 15% cut in funding – the highest level nationally – while other areas have seen cuts of only 8-10%. Councils in deprived areas of the North, the Midlands and Inner London saw the highest level of cuts, the report says, and there was a warning of worse to come.

Almost 60% of the planned reduction in local government funding will take place in the next three years, putting local authorities under increasing strain to cut more jobs and reduce services.

The Audit Commission said that metropolitan and unitary councils suffered the worst of the cuts. This includes North Tyneside, Gateshead, Newcastle and Sunderland. County councils suffered less with a reduction in central government funding of 3.6%.