A PRISON which has dominated the skyline of a market town for 225 years is quickly disappearing as demolition makes way for major redevelopment.

Large parts of the prison wall and buildings at Northallerton have now been cleared, although five buildings are listed, including the Governor’s House, and are being kept as part of the scheme to breathe new life into the centre of the market town.

Hambleton District council is due to decide on Tuesday February 21 who their new private sector partners will be and plans for redeveloping the site, earmarked for retail, leisure, education and housing will follow.

The prison, parts of which date back to 1788, was one of the oldest still in use across the country, until it was closed by the Justice Department in 2013 because it was too expensive to bring up to modern standards.

It had been used to house male and female prisoners, adult prisoners, women with children, youth offenders and military prisoners. It was bought by Hambleton council for £1.4million.