Bosses of a city centre pub say they 'can't believe' they could be forced to remove a colourful mural after a planning row.

Owners of The Boat Club in Durham applied for retrospective advertising consent after unveiling a new mural, painted by local artist Glenn Malpass and including a toucan balancing a pint of Guinness on its beak alongside an illustration of Durham Cathedral.

In July, the council wrote to the venue to say the mural was “unlawful”, and now the pub has been left bewildered after permission for the toucan-laden painted wall was rejected.

A refusal letter, sent by council officials on November 25, said the mural was of "excessive size, scale and stark colour" and therefore "harmful" to the surrounding area.

Tomahawk boss Howard Eggleston, who owns the pub, said: "We can

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