Painting on historic town's cobbles 'a total mess'
BBCParking signs painted on to the cobbles of a historic market square have been described as "a total mess".
The loading bay markings appeared on Monday in Alnwick, Northumberland, with many residents and town traders criticising the quality of the work.
"Awful is the only word I can use, I actually thought it was a joke when I first saw it," said Conservative councillor Gordon Castle.
In a statement, Northumberland County Council said it had instructed the contractor to return, adding it "fully recognised that the quality of the workmanship does not meet the standards we expect".
Alnwick, which has a number of visitor attractions including Alnwick Castle and the second-hand bookshop Barter Books, welcomes thousands of visitors a year.
Its cobbled market square dates back hundreds of years but is still accessible to traffic.
"I do accept we have to mark out the loading bays otherwise we have what we had years ago with cars dumped everywhere in the square," Castle said.
"But I'm not defending the workmanship here which is dreadful, it looks like it's been done with a yard brush."
He was joined in his criticism by Green Party councillor Martin Swinbank, who agreed the quality "isn't good enough".
"I've asked for the work to be redone," he said.
Shop owner Andrew Hodgson, who has been a trader in Alnwick since 1987, called it "a total mess".
I was shocked with the lack of workmanship, just utter disbelief at the mess that they'd made of the stone cobbles," he said.
"It looks as if some kids have painted it."
The Conservative-led council declined to name the contractor which had carried out the work but said the markings were required to "ensure loading bays are clearly defined for both traders and visitors".
"Given the nature of the cobbles, it's always difficult to refresh areas like this," a spokesperson added.
"However, the finish must be appropriate for the setting, and on this occasion it has clearly fallen short."
