A TOURIST leaflet describing Ilkley as a 'village' is at the heart of a wrangle with Bradford Council's top marketing executive.

And members of a group set up to manage Ilkley's tourist trade say they were left aghast at Owen Williams' reaction to the gaffe. Mr Williams was invited to a meeting of the group to discuss a promotional strategy to give flagging tourism a boost.

It was pointed to out to him by committee member Frazer Irwin, that the Bradford Council-produced literature billed Ilkley as a village.

The marketing supremo replied: "Would you have a problem with it being called a village?" And he continued unfazed after being met with confused murmuring that Ilkley was, in fact, a vibrant town.

After the meeting, several members said that Mr Williams had rubbed salt into the wound by asking if it would still be a problem if it attracted more visitors.

Mr Irwin, a local historian, told the Gazette: "I could have hit the roof. Ilkley stopped being a village in 1820, when the hydropathic spas started.

"I was speechless. I was hoping that when I put it to him, he would come out with something sensible."

Mr Irwin said publicising the town as a village would give the wrong impression.

He said: "There are 40 eating houses in Ilkley. How many villages have that? It gives the wrong idea. People might pick up the leaflet and come expecting a village, or decide that they do not want to come here because they want somewhere that has more on offer."

Mr Irwin said he despaired of tourism ever picking up if Bradford Council did not even get the terminology correct. He said: "They get everything right when it comes to Bradford but when it comes to Ilkley they do not check up.

"If they can't get their publicity right, they can't expect to get people to come to the area."

Kate Brown, of Ilkley Parish Council, who chaired the meeting said she believed Mr Williams' questions were rhetorical and designed to make the group think about its identity.

But a trader, who did not wish to be named, shared Mr Irwin's sentiments. He said: "When I heard him mention that, I nearly asked him if he had ever been to a village. I thought 'come off it, it's a town'. Where are you coming from. It is ridiculous."

Mr Irwin said members of the group had also felt short-changed by Mr Williams' visit and were disappointed that no firm plans had been decided.

He added: "He came, he said something and he went, which is a shame. He did not come and say we can do such and such. A very good chance of getting something done for the town has been lost on both sides."

Mr Williams, said he was disappointed that such feelings were not raised in his presence at the meeting. He said: "I have spoken to the chairman of the meeting. Their disappointment has been a surprise to her, too.

"The views that have been expressed were not expressed at the meeting and are not consistent with the chairman's views of how the meeting went."

The leaflet was produced to promote the Kings Hall/Winter Gardens complex as a conference venue.

They are still readily available from Ilkley Tourist Information Centre.