SOME of the shine is being taken off Northallerton in Bloom as one area of the town "goes down the nick," according to a local man.

The state of a graffiti-covered pedestrian subway at East Road and the general area around the county library building has been highlighted by Mr Ron Nichols, who retired to Northallerton 12 years ago.

Only seven months after they were last cleaned off, Mr Nichols has found that the walls of the subway are again disfigured from end to end by graffiti which includes obscene words and drawings.

Mr Nichols has also criticised the area immediately around the entrance to the county library and the steps leading to the subway, where he has noted weeds sprouting between paving stones and old grit not swept away after it was spread during bad weather.

Mr Nichols said: "This whole area seems to be going down the nick. Even if the graffiti in the subway was just noughts and crosses that would be bad enough, but some of what I see on my way to the library is obscene.

"This is lowering the tone and is not fair on the vast majority of residents.

"I think it's smashing that Northallerton has entered Britain in Bloom but it's sad to see the general standard of cleanliness and tidiness in this area."

Mr Mike Roberts, county council divisional highways engineer at Thirsk, said cleaning of the subway had been undertaken either by his department or the town council, depending on available resources.

There was a priority to remove graffiti as quickly as possible where obscenity was involved and action would be taken by his department in this case.

Mr Roberts said the subway had already been treated with a special material to make it easier to remove graffiti, but it had become worn and recoating would be needed.

Coun Jack Dobson, chairman of Northallerton in Bloom and vice-chairman of the town council amenities committee, said town council staff had removed graffiti earlier this year with recommended materials following complaints from parents.

"No one wants to see the town defaced, but unfortunately we live in an age where these things are happening not only in Northallerton but all over the country. Town council ground staff spend 40pc of their time dealing with vandalism."

A spokesman for county library headquarters said the appearance of the area around the East Road library was under investigation.