AN outspoken councillor is challenging a local authority's use of 'Historic Yorkshire' boundary signs claiming it is simply a measure to placate people wanting break away from Stockton Borough Council.

Thornaby Town Councillor Steve Walmsley is outraged that the local authority is continuing to install signs marking the historic boundary of the North Riding of Yorkshire.

He insists that the move is in reaction to public votes in Thornaby and Yarm calling for the towns to be incorporated into North Yorkshire – a claim dismissed by Stockton Borough Council leader, Cllr Bob Cook.

Cllr Walmsley said: "This is simply a reaction to Thornaby and Yarm referenda. It is patronising and intelligence insulting – that is for those who possess such a quality. Why use the term 'historic'?

"The Yorkshire boundary is constant and this pseudo 'magnanimous' gesture is simply nauseating and dreamt up by people whose attitude to the town of Thornaby on Tees has been nothing short of contemptuous for so many years.

"SBC has not consulted Thornaby Town Council nor asked public opinion. This is just a proclamation of imposition stating that SBC is erecting signs of their own design and wording and is indisputably politically driven.

"No doubt SBC will do as they wish - as they always do. But if they believe that this will placate Thornaby people and desire for separation from Stockton then they truly are living in cloud cuckoo land. It's simply opened wounds further and I will be asking TIA led Thornaby Town Council to re-energise our efforts to press for recognition of our town's culture and identity within a single tier Teesside City authority."

However, Cllr Cook did not hold back in his defence of the project.

He said: “As usual Steve is mistaken – I’m just surprised the well-publicised public consultation on this appears to have passed both him and his relentlessly negative TIA group by as they rarely miss an opportunity to be negative about anything this council does.

“Instead of trashing anything and everything it would be far more productive if they followed the lead of the Ingleby Barwick Independent Society and worked with us more constructively to deliver improvements for the benefit of local people.

“The new signage is about recognising that people feel a strong pride in being from the ceremonial counties of North Riding of Yorkshire, and County Durham and the appearance and wording of the signage was drawn up following the public consultation.

“What’s interesting is that various parties without an axe to grind have responded very favourably to the signs.”