Residents who own a communal yard in Oakenshaw are angry that the land is being used by cyclists to access the Spen Valley Greenway.

They claim that cyclists and horseriders using a pedestrian-only footpath to get on to the cycle route are making their lives a misery.

And Kirklees Council said if people carry on abusing the path, the access route will be closed altogether and pedestrians will have to use another one further along the Greenway.

The public right of way being used by riders runs through a communal yard in Hatchet Lane, Oakenshaw, shared by several residents who say they are fed up with telling cyclists and horseriders the path is not for their use. David Longbottom, 62, of Hatchet Lane off Wyke Lane, Oakenshaw, who shares the communal yard, claimed a map had been produced of the Spen Valley Greenway showing Hatchet Lane as an access point. He has fenced the access off, but said cyclists were lifting their bikes over the fence.

"They have made leaflets showing Hatchet Lane as a means of access for cyclists," he said.

"They have overstepped the mark and have not done any investigating before going ahead with this map.

"My neighbours and I are getting bikes flying up and down. We get abuse when we ask them not to do it. They say they can do it because the leaflet says so."

Councillor Kath Pinnock (Lib Dem, Cleckheaton) visited the site with Mr Longbottom and Tom Ghee, from Kirklees Highways.

She said: "Residents have a legitimate concern about the public right of way running next to their houses. It is a right of way for pedestrians, not cyclists or horseriders. Unfortunately it is marked on the Sustrans map of the Greenway as an access point."

Tom Ghee from Kirklees Highways said the council was considering putting up a stone divider to discourage cyclists and horseriders trying to get on to the Greenway at that point.

"There is a full access point on Green Lane in Oakenshaw for pedestrians, cyclists and horseriders which should be used instead," he said. "We will do what we can but if it does continue to be abused we will physically close the access for all users."

Nobody from Sustrans was available to comment.