The final circular Smarties tubes have rolled off the production line in York. But are the city's chocolate fans mourning their loss or looking forward to enjoying the newly-packed sweets? ROSSLYN SNOW found out.

THE demise of the iconic Smarties tube has prompted complaints from die-hard fans and even attracted criticism from royalty.

But as production of the circular Smarties tube ended this week, there were mixed views on the streets of York.

While most people said changing the packaging to a six-sided Hexatube was "change for change's sake", others welcomed the new look as more environmentally-friendly.

John Sturdy, of York, said: "I'm so old-fashioned, I wish they hadn't changed it.

"In fact I'm surprised they did, it's always been a good seller so it didn't need to change."

Beth Pooley, 16, of Stamford Bridge, said she ate Smarties occasionally and always saved the plastic lid.

She said: "I keep the top of the tube because it has a letter on it - it's traditional."

But Mary Broddle, who was in York with her eight-year-old granddaughter, Felicity, said she welcomed the new look.

She said: "Children take the lids off with their teeth and I worry that they are going to swallow it, but Felicity has always eaten them - she has had some today on the train."

The last circular Smarties tube rolled off the production line at the Nestl Rowntree factory in York this week, and the new design will go into production in the next couple of weeks.

When the announcement was made at the beginning of the year, the company said it wanted to introduce a "contemporary new look" - the first change to the tube in the 67 years it has been on the shelves.

But the Duke of York was among those against the change in shape.

The Duke spent more than 20 minutes chiding Nestle Rowntree boss Chris White at the National Railway Museum earlier this year after informing him that he used the tubes to store plumes from his regimental headdress.

Also disappearing is the traditional letter on the lid, which will be replaced by constantly updated, quirky messages, stickers or images inside each tube and a resealable flip-top lid.

John Plant, who runs Sweet Treasures in Shambles, sells Smarties alongside old fashioned confectionery.

He said he will keep some of the circular tubes for his display of old-fashioned packaging, as many customers revisit the past when they step inside the shop - both buying older-style sweets which he still stocks, and asking for others which have disappeared from the shelves. He said: "The most popular sweets are things like Army and Navy liquorice cough sweets, Kali, which is a sherbet, and Traffic Light Lollies.

"At least twice a week we get people asking for Jap Desserts, which are pale coloured with coconut inside.

"I remember them from about 30 or 40 years ago, but they don't make them any more.

"I will definitely keep some of the tubes for my display."

It wasn't just Smarties that captured the imagination of the people of York. At Sweet Treasures, in Shambles, customers were scanning the jar-laden shelves for sweets from the past - cola bottles, pear drops, white mice, flying saucers.

Scarborough resident Barbara Braithwaite, 63, said sweets such as Pontefract Cakes, Barley Sugar Sticks and aniseed roots brought back fond memories.

She said: "When you go into old-fashioned sweet shops it is like being back in wonderland.

"There are so many sweets I remember, but you can't get some of them now.

"The liquorice roots can be found in health food shops now, because they are completely natural.

"I remember things like coconut mushrooms and Kali, which was a yellow powder you used to scoop up and eat.

"I love sweets, I think I'm addicted, and my husband never goes out without some sweets in his pocket."

Old fashioned sweets such as sweet tobacco, chocolate cigarettes, Sherbet Fountain Dips and Violet Sweets are easily available over the internet. Numerous websites are dedicated to old fashioned confectionary, including "retro and nostalgic" sweets.

Updated: 10:33 Saturday, June 04, 2005