THE Leyburn Sprint safety barriers may have been a contentious issue but artist Elizabeth Young hoped they would become a tourist attraction for the town after she started painting them this week.

“It should cause a great deal of interest and that’s got to be good for the town,” she said.

Mrs Young said talk of the barriers had died down over the past few months but the painting of them would hopefully have people talking again – but this time in a more positive way.

“I think the people that didn’t like the idea originally may come around when they see them, she said.

She hoped to have the 13 barriers on Macintyre St finished by the next Sprints meet in August – yesterday, she was onto her third.

“It all depends on the weather it has to be more than 10 degrees or the paint falls of,” Mrs Young said.

She used a picture as a reference, sketching it onto the barrier with chalk, then painting in the details.

She intends to paint all 100 barriers in the town, with the help of her art group.

“Three down, 97 to go,” she said.

The painting had gone ahead despite a Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) grant being knocked back by council recently.

Sprint Committee Vice President Dennis Brown said there was nothing sinister in the rejection and they would apply again in the future.

“They have come back and asked for more information so we will do that and have another go in the next round,” he said. He also hoped the barriers would work in the town’s favour and become a tourist attraction.

“I think it’ll be something that looks good and hopefully something that people come to town to see,” he said.