SETTLE'S Castleberg rock could be locked up at night to combat vandalism and litter, a parishioner suggested at the annual town meeting this week.

Upper Settle resident John Fox suggested restricting access to the limestone pinnacle and the town council-owned grounds around it might deter the hooligans who recently chopped down three trees and left empty alcopop bottles strewn around the conservation area.

"There will be howls of protest about an addition to the council tax, but if people want a tidy town and to preserve Castleberg then I would suggest it would be better to have a lengthman looking after the town," Mr Fox told the annual parish meeting on Monday.

"Lock Castleberg at night. A lengthman would lock and unlock it."

Chairman Coun Geoff Craven and clerk Peter Leng explained about the trees being chopped down at Castleberg, and said it came at a time when the council was considering putting an interpretation plaque at the bottom of the outcrop to help visitors.

The police had been informed about the trees and officers had promised to try to visit the area more often, reported Mr Leng.

Castleberg's council-owned woodland is subject to a management scheme with the Yorkshire Dales National Park and volunteers who help to look after it.

Access to the privately-owned part of the woods around the rocky outcrop is about to be increased with a project to improve the area.

Litter around the town in general was a major concern expressed at the meeting, and in particular the conspicuous dog mess bags which seemed to be piling up at certain points in Settle.

Coun Craven said: "It's got really bad. There are masses of litter and dog muck bags in Watery Lane and Cammock Lane."

Coun Lynda McGeoch added that it was a town-wide problem.

If an eye was kept on areas where dog mess and bags accumulated then it might be possible to identify offenders and the dog warden could take action, said Coun David Heather.

The dog warden has powers to issue fixed penalties to people who fail to clean up after their pets, and prosecutions are also possible.

Offending dog owners manage to avoid detection by being elusive, said Coun Barbara McLernon.

"I go to the High Road every morning at different times and it is filthy, but I have yet to see anybody or catch anyone letting their dog foul.

"It would only take a couple of them to be caught and a successful prosecution and things would improve, I'm sure," she said.

Anyone with any information about the Castleberg tree offenders was asked to contact the town council or the police.