HEADS are being scratched around Ilkley after a mystery vintage car rally upset a Middleton resident.

Anne Brough, of Slates Lane, rang the Gazette to try to find information about the rally which was taking place on Friday morning. She said that vintage cars had been passing her home at speeds up to 60mph towards Myddleton Lodge.

"I think that this lane is very narrow and they are coming along here at just a fantastic speed. I think it is not on," said Mrs Brough.

Ilkley police said that the jurisdiction border between West Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Police ran down the Middle of Carter's Lane which runs on to Slates Lane.

Technically, as the reported cars had been travelling from the direction of Carter's Lane towards Myddleton Lodge they would have been in the jurisdiction of West Yorkshire Police. However, if they had been travelling in the way Mrs Brough described, it was more than likely that they would have crossed the white line at some stage, straying into the territory of North Yorkshire Police.

But inquiries pursued by the Gazette with both forces drew a complete blank. Neither police force had any record of a rally taking place in Ilkley.

Barry Robinson, of Ben Rhydding, is a member of the Ilkley Motor Club (IMC). He said that the rally had nothing to do with Ilkley enthusiasts and he knew nothing about it.

After consulting the IMC diary for the month of August he said that no event had been planned.

Motor rallies in Great Britain are usually run under the auspices of the Royal Automobile Club but Mr Robinson said the RAC was not issuing permits to run them because of foot and mouth disease restrictions.

"I have every sympathy with the lady and there will be a lot of people wondering what is going on," said Mr Robinson.

Mrs Brough said the only clue she had to the organisers of the mystery event was that one of the modern control cars had 'Rally Ecosse' emblazoned on it.

She said: "It is not on, the speeds they were doing - I think they should have let the householders know what was going on."

If anyone can enlighten us about the rally and who organised it, the Gazette would be grateful.