An ancient track across world-famous Ilkley Moor could be under threat because of heavy handed maintenance work, a walker claims. Neil Bellamy, an IT consultant, fears work by Bradford council could encourage more four wheel drive vehicles to use the ancient road, which links Ilkley with Keighley gate.

A sign at the bottom of the moor bars off road vehicles. Mr Bellamy, of Ilkley, said four-wheel-drive vehicles had already caused massive damage on the moorland.

"It is only necessary to try to walk west along the moor to see indications of the massive cumulative damage these vehicles are doing to the moors at the moment," he said.

He fears that ancient Swastika Stones, part of the natural heritage of the area, have been used to line parts of the track. He accuses Bradford council of failing to notify the public about the work so that people could make comments.

The track is marked as a minor road on the OS routefinders map, but it is unsurfaced and is not suitable for ordinary vehicles. "The problem is now that the work will encourage even more vehicles to go up there. The damage is going to be accelerated.

"I can understand the need for some work to maintain access for maintenance but I think it has been much too heavy handed." He said the work had involved digging drainage ditches at the side of the track, two feet wide and two feet deep, which he claimed would lead eventually to the track getting wider and more erosion of the moorland.

"It has been widened significantly and without any regard at all, it seems, to the conservation of the flora on either side of the track. Large rocks have been moved in order to line the track and large ditches have been dug alongside the road lower down the hill.

"As a keen walker, I have paid close attention to this area and have never noticed any drainage problems in winter or in summer."

He had contacted the countryside service and been told the work had to be done to prevent the road becoming inaccessible at times of heavy rain. "I didn't see the track become unusable last June or July when they claim the road became dangerous."

A Bradford council spokesman said: "There are no plans to widen or upgrade Moor Road." It was severely affected by heavy rain in the summer and major potholes had been filled in so the track could be restored to its previous condition, she added.