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The Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions

(DTLR) is to bypass COI Communications by building its own creative and

media agency rosters, sparking a major industry row in the process.

Although government departments are not obliged to use the COI for the

deployment of their marketing budgets, the move is highly unusual.

Sources say the COI is privately unhappy at the timing of the DTLR

decision.

The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) is also furious that

the DTLR is re-tendering its business just three months after the COI

unveiled its creative and media planning rosters following a four-month

procurement process.

"For the DTLR not to trust the COI's judgment is bizarre and ridiculous

to say the least," said IPA president Bruce Haines.

"One would have thought that, after the events of the past few weeks,

the department would have more pressing issues to worry about. It

already has a highly competent agency roster to select from."

A spokesman for the DTLR, which spent £18.3m on marketing during

its last year as the Department of the Environment, Transport and the

Regions, said the agency search was "a test of the market".