ENGLAND football fans may have painted the town red after Saturday's 3-0 win against Denmark, but in Hurworth white was the colour of victory.

On Saturday evening, and for reasons unknown, someone decided to transform the postbox outside the convenience store on Hurworth Green ... and paint it white.

Coun Peter Foster of Hurworth told the D&S Times it was a strange thing for anyone to do.

He said: "I've heard of people painting the town red but painting a postbox white must be a first. Nobody has owned up to it and we don't know why anyone would want to do this, but it looks as if it has been painted with a brush so it must have taken some time to do.

"They've also made a right mess of the pavement."

Theories as to why the postbox took the brunt of elation or despair range from a disgruntled member of Royal Mail staff after learning of mass redundancies or an England fan who simply ran out of time to complete the St George's flag.

As the D&S Times' photographer turned up on Monday, a Royal Mail contractor was already busy chiselling off the paint. He said: "It'll take me all day to chisel this lot off."

A spokesman for Royal Mail said: "We've never had a postbox painted white before and I hope this is a one-off."

Darlington Borough Council will use high pressure cleaners to remove the paint from the pavement.