IT'S hard to feel much sympathy for the Northallerton restaurateur who this week put his business up for sale on the grounds that there are too many restaurants in the town.

For many years residents and visitors were struck by the fact that there were too few places to eat. Some went so far as to suggest that the town was a culinary desert.

Successive owners of the town's Romanby Court restaurant made a good living over many years by being virtually the only fine dining establishment in Northallerton. Now others have entered the fray, much to the chagrin of the current owner.

We hope he finds a buyer willing to take on one of the area's best-known eating establishments. But we also hope he understands why diners will welcome greater competition.