Residents opposed to a new Tesco supermarket have voiced their concerns.

About 40 anti-Tesco protestors went to the council chamber at Ilkley Town Hall to register their disapproval.

They were members of Ilkley Residents Against Tesco Encroachment (Irate) formed to fight the supermarket group's plan to relocate to the Spooner site on Railway Road.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Brewery Road resident John Saltmarsh said members were determined to fight the proposals.

He said: "It will inevitably mean many of our treasured stores will be unable to compete and will close forever. Eventually the town centre will consist almost entirely of charity shops.

"The overcrowded local streets will simply become grid-locked and downright dangerous."

The group has urged the parish council to call a public meeting to debate the proposal.

Chairman of the parish planning committee Kate Brown said once a planning application was submitted, it would be scrutinised in terms of the effect it will have on residents, traffic, businesses and the way it would affect the character of the town, as well as the impact caused by any change of use of the existing Tesco store.

After the meeting parish and district councillor Anne Hawkesworth spoke to residents about the plans. In a letter to them she says: "These plans are completely unacceptable and are probably only Tesco putting their toe in the water to see how far they can go."