AN insurance firm has supported a call to tidy up one of Darlington's busiest roads .

Concern that the town's image is being spoiled by the poor state of parts of North Road has been echoed by managers at BiB Insurance Brokers, whose office fronts the road.

They say a serious litter problem outside their offices is mainly caused by the number of fast-food outlets nearby.

Heather Scott, an associate director of BiB, said the problem was "horrendous".

"The council may not have Government cash to improve North Road, but the least we should be able to expect is for our streets to be clean," she said..

"It has got so bad that we are ashamed when people come into our offices after seeing the litter outside."

A Darlington Borough Council spokeswoman said there were dozens of litter bins in North Road and litter picking was carried out daily.

She said one option open to the council was to introduce litter clearing notices which would put the onus on individual businesses to provide extra litter bins and make them sweep up in a 50 metre radius outside their premises