Skipton's rabbit population has proved victorious in its battle against mankind and has won the war of the Aireville allotments.

The town's multiplying bunny population has pushed allotment holders off their land and Skipton Town Council has run up the white flag and admitted defeat in the war against the rabbits.

It now plans to hand the warren-riddled site back to the district council, meaning the tenants will have to move to plots in other parts of the town or give up their hobby altogether.

Allotment holders say they have lost most of this year's crops because of the rabbits.

A recent inspection discovered the land was riddled with rabbit warrens and revealed rabbit wire would have to be pushed at least three feet underground to try to stop them burrowing underneath.

Skipton Town Council's safety and amenities committee said this would be too costly and has recommended giving the land back to Craven District Council, which is unlikely to retain the site as allotments. If the recommendation is approved, allotment holders will be offered plots elsewhere or given notice to quit.

One of the civilian casualties of the war, allotment holder John Sheard said: "I am utterly appalled. I have put eight or nine years of very hard work converting what was, when I took it over, a jungle of head high weeds into a pretty good garden.

"It seems to me when the town council, or the district council for that matter, gets a problem, they just run away or find the easy solution."Mr Sheard accused both councils of being terrified of the "fluffy bunny animal lovers' brigade".

Greg Robinson, head of operations at Craven District Council, said as well as damaging the allotments, rabbits could cause dangerous burrow holes in the park and posed a threat to the pitch and putt course and conservation meadow.

Last year he gave permission for ferreters to try to get rid of them.

"Unfortunately the natural approach has not had any effect. Rabbits must have been prevalent for many years but measures which have been used before (shooting with air rifles, snaring and baiting) are no longer acceptable or practical in the park," he said.

Mr Robinson has considered using professional contractors who would introduce pellets into the burrows to kill the rabbits underground. However, the park would have to be closed for 24 hours.

"I am going back to the professional outfit for a re-examination of the options, to see what can be done in such an open area. Although the rabbits are pests, the safety of the public within the park is my primary concern," he said.