A County Durham town that has one of the most prominent links to the railway in the entire region has been branded a "dump" by an out-of-town YouTuber.

Video creator TurdTowns claims that Shildon is a "bit boring and pointless", hitting out the town in an upload where he ranks eight towns he deems are "dumps" in the county.

The creator, who goes by the name 'TurdTowns' has uploaded videos from his travels across the UK where he ranks, critiques, and evaluates lesser-known towns and villages.

His channel is described as exploring the most "obscure" places in the country, and each video involves a walk around the town listing its highlights and low points.

Despite Shildon being the home to not just Locomotion but also having a rich history of manufacturing, and being the birthplace of a famed writer, TurdTowns assessment is less than positive.

In the video, he adds: "This can't be it. Where is the rest of it?", panning around streets whilst claiming there were no shops in the area. 

"I was expecting a warzone, but I really didn't see it", remarked the creator as he introduced the town, referring to the fact that it was ranked the most dangerous area in County Durham in relation to its crime rate.

Despite this, he confessed he did not feel unsafe whilst filming, adding that "they have spent money here and what they have done is tasteful".

In spite of the rather bleak assessment from TurdTowns, there are positives about Shildon that outweigh the creators critiques.

Just this year, Shildon's Locomotion Museum played host to The Flying Scotsman - arguably one of the world's most famous trains.

During its stays at the museum, thousands have flocked to see the stunning piece of rail history and take a ride.

The Flying Scotsman.The Flying Scotsman. (Image: LOCOMOTION SHILDON)

Shildon was also the birthplace of Sid Chaplin - an award-winning writer known for his works The Day of The Sardine and The Watchers of The Watched.

The writer later lived in Gladstone Terrace, in Ferryhill where a blue plaque marks his legacy.

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Just over 40 years ago, the town's wagon works that employed nearly 3,000 people was closed - and an exhibition detailing the 'Fight for Shildon' and the rich history of manufacturing in the town was unveiled.

Then, the town became one of the world's first railway towns after Locomotion No1 pulled in to the town, leading to jobs. 

At its peak in the 1950s, the works, which had the Masons’ Arms at its entrance, employed 2,800 men who repaired or modified 510 wagons a week – 25,000 a year. The works covered 58 acres on which there was 20 miles of track.