A LEADING Northallerton councillor says he is ashamed to represent such a litter-strewn town.

Coun John Coulson launched a stinging attack on the state of the town and called for tough action to clean things up.

Coun Coulson, a county and Hambleton district councillor, told town council members on Monday: "Northallerton is a damned disgrace.

"The problem of rubbish and litter is not being addressed and I am ashamed to be local councillor with the town in the state it is in.

"It is one big eyesore from one passageway to another."

Coun Coulson's broadside was backed by town councillors and a meeting is to be arranged for all Northallerton councillors - county, district and town - to thrash out a solution.

"There are bags of rubbish where there have not been any before and it is all having a downhill effect," said Coun Coulson.

After hearing of the launch of a Renaissance Market Towns charter next week, he said: "It is interesting to hear about this initiative. Teams are working like hell, yet the town itself is a terrible mess. You look down the High Street and weeds are growing from the town hall guttering on the day Yorkshire in Bloom judges are looking round."

He also criticised the state of fencing around the Applegarth.

"Some time ago I was told this area would be looked at," he said.

"But not all this is down to the town council. Much of it concerns the district. There are overflowing bins and dog-dirt bins not emptied for three weeks.

"We have got to get together and sort this out."

Speaking to the mayor, Coun Tony Hall, he said: "You should grasp this situation. The town council and elected members of Hambleton district need an all-out effort to make Northallerton fit to be the county town it was many years ago."

Coun Hall said: "We achieve much more when we work together. It is a problem. I acknowledge it is not all the town council's responsibility, but we are elected by the people."

"All Northallerton councillors should team," said Coun Coulson.

"We have done this before and we need to do it again and not let things slide."

Coun Hall said the town hall gutters would be cleaned as soon as roof scaffolding came down and that the question of fencing on the Applegarth was being addressed.

County Coun Peter Brown said the biggest complaint he got was about litter.

Town council clerk Sheila Gibbins is to arrange a date for all Northallerton councillors to meet at the town hall.

l Letters to the Editor: page 21