AN art event that was supposed to bring colour to a town centre turned out to be a drab affair, according to its council sponsors.

Bishop Auckland Town Councillors slammed last month’s two week-long Art Land festival as dull and disappointing.

Organisers asked the council, who gave them £5,000 to help stage the festival in April, to fill in a feedback form to help them gauge its success.

Art Land was designed to take art to people who do not usually visit galleries and was timed to complement Bishop Auckland’s popular food festival.

Organisers told the council it would raise the town’s profile, promote businesses and show that culture can play a role in regeneration.

They said it would enhance people’s every day experiences and get residents and visitors to appreciate Bishop Auckland’s "wonderful qualities".

Fifteen artists from across the North of England produced displays such as bus tickets decorated with song lyrics, welcome mats, graffiti-style artwork inspired by Andy Warhol and a shadow outline of Auckland Castle’s deer shelter traced with a lawmower.

The highlight was meant to be an illuminated pink ladder on the spire of the town council’s headquarters at the Four Clocks centre, but this did not materialise.

Former mayor Alan Anderson said: "It didn’t make the impact that I thought it would."

Councillor Lesley Zair said: "I expected colour and it didn’t happen. I have never been so disappointed in anything.

Her husband Sam said: "It certainly didn’t give value for money. I don’t think we should support it again."

Councillor Barbara Laurie said: "It is a good idea to have people ask themselves what is art and make them think about it, but there has to be some acceptable art as well."

Art Land’s co-organiser James Lowther is due to report to the council next month. He said: "We received many positive comments from members of the public and businesses "Contemporary art of this kind does cause a wide ranging debate and we are more than happy to discuss this at the next council meeting."