RESIDENTS say a travellers' camp has turned a beauty spot into a

disaster area.

Fed-up landowners say the annual return of travellers to the stepping stones at Carter Lane, in Ilkley, is destroying the area.

The travellers return to the spot every year between May and August.

Residents say damage at the site this year is the worst they have ever seen. Almost 20 horses, belonging to the travellers, have been chained at the site and residents claim trees and fences are being damaged.

Many of the horses are on council land but the fencing belongs to

private land owners.

One resident, who did not wish to be named, said: "They have no respect for other people's property. Every year they come it gets worse. More and more horses come and the damage just increases. Something is going to have to be done to stop it. They are causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage to fences."

Bradford district councillor Colin Powell who met with residents and Mike Knowles, Bradford Council Gypsy Liaison Officer, said he was also concerned that scattered hay and horse manure were ruining the natural beauty of the site. He said: "This is a beauty spot for Ilkley. These stepping stones have been around for years. People come and have picnics here. I am also concerned about the trees. Damage to trees is criminal."

Residents also claim that the travellers have been creating piles of rubbish in the area. Coun Powell said: "There is rubbish all over the place. They do work on trees in this area and bring all the rubbish back with them and dump it."

There are also claims that the travellers have trespassed on private land. The resident said: "I get them wandering around on my land, where I have shooting rights. Another problem is that they leave gates open so we get wandering neighbours cattle.

"Two men even intimidated a neighbour and her husband and they were on their own land at the time."

The residents feel helpless to act as it falls under the landowner's

jurisdiction to apply for a costly and temporary court order to remove the caravans. The land the caravans are parked on is owned by Ilkley Angling Association, which says it cannot afford to mount such a case.

Brian Featherstone, president of the association, said: "The problem is that any court order only lasts for one day. If we asked them to leave they could come back the next day. The last time we looked at it we decided it was not a feasible option."

It is also impossible to simply fence the land off as it is a flood plane site.

The secretary of the group is in talks with Bradford Council to see if a solution can be reached. A spokesman for the council said it was liasing with all parties involved but it was unable to take action as the matter concerned private land.

Inspector Paul Clynch, head of Ilkley Police, said: "It is not the police's responsibility. It is down to whoever owns the land. The travellers do not cause us any problems from a police point of view."

The travellers were unwilling to comment.