CASH conscious councillors have saved taxpayers thousands by rolling up their sleeves and repainting the town hall themselves.

Members of Northallerton Town Council baulked at the cost when the bill for repainting the town hall came in at more than £7,000.

But instead of giving up they opted to do the job themselves – with help from local volunteers.

And thanks to their money-saving efforts the local landmark has been given a smart new look that will protect the grade II listed building for years to come.

Town councillor and chairman of the local Lions, John Forrest, said the work was now complete and the interior of the ornate building looked impressive in its new colours of white, vanilla and sage.

He said: “It was really tough going. The ceilings are very high so we were up and down on scaffolding and we were only a small group of volunteers.

“Getting started was the hardest point – I remember looking around thinking, “what have I let myself into?” – but we got through it.

“It took about 500 hours altogether since the end of July, but we think it will have saved the council around £7,000.”

Paint and tools were donated by Wickes, while local firms SCH and Tannery Hire provided scaffolding.

Cllr Forrest said: “I want to thank everybody who turned up to help us. The hall had not been redecorated for many years and it was showing. Everyone who has been in to use the hall has said how great it looks.”