Middlesbrough councillor given paint to spruce up ward herself

Councillor Joan McTigue said she would start the job once the council had sent her chalk to write "wet paint" warnings

A councillor says her council has sent three tins of paint to spruce up her ward's scruffy fences herself after it told her it did not have the staff.

Independent councillor Joan McTigue said she would also paint bollards in her Longlands and Beechwood ward after Middlesbrough Council gave the paint.

The council said it supported councillors carrying out improvements.

Ms McTigue said she would start the job when the council sent her chalk to write "wet paint" warnings.

Ms McTigue said: "They said they haven't got the staff to do it so I asked for the paint so I could do it myself.

"I just went straight to the top and spoke to the council's director for the environment. He said, 'you can have the paint if you want to do it yourself'.

"So they've given me three tins of paint, which proves they acknowledge that the work needs to be done, but it's left for me to do it."

'Improve their area'

A spokesman for Middlesbrough Council said: "The authority has a rolling programme of maintenance works for all areas of the town.

"However while that work is programmed in, we will support councillors as much as we can when they want to do something to improve their area.

"It is something that has been done before and we will gladly discuss any ideas members of the council have for area improvements."