A MYSTERY protestor, armed only with thick brown parcel tape, is waging a lone war against county boundary changes - 30 years after they came into force.

The culprit uses the tape to blot out the words County Durham on signs marking the border with North Yorkshire, close to the A66 near Barnard Castle. And each time it is removed, another tape raid is carried out.

The signs in question are all in a swathe of land previously within the North Riding of Yorkshire - until the boundaries were reshaped in 1974 and it fell under the control of County Durham.

Jack Robinson, retired landlord of the Rose and Crown at Mickleton, and a campaigner for that part of Teesdale to be returned to Yorkshire, said: "I've nothing to do with the road signs, but I'd like to congratulate the person doing it. This land rightly belongs to Yorkshire, whatever the authorities say."

Sonia Hall, owner of the A66 Motel at Smallways crossroads, where the Durham name has been covered over, said: "It looks as if some someone is trying to make a point by hiding Durham's name from view."

Ian Tallentire, of Smallways Garage, said: "Several local road signs have been tackled. Some days the brown tape is in place and other days it is missing. It's all a mystery."

A Durham County Council spokesman said: "Regardless of the motive and however childish this may seem, damaging roadsigns is an offence and whoever is responsible could face legal proceedings."