Glusburn and Cross Hills residents are calling for an urgent survey into pollution levels in the two villages.

Parish councillors have become more concerned about the amount of traffic travelling on the busy A6068, especially large vehicles such as HGVs.

Now they want environmental health bosses to monitor pollution levels.

They are also calling for figures detailing acceptable pollution levels so they can compare these with Glusburn and Cross Hills.

Their calls come after Coun Philip Baker visited the Roads Research Laboratory to look at pollution figures for an "average" village.

"It's really frightening," he told fellow councillors.

He said he had worked out his own figures for Glusburn and Cross Hills, but members called for more accurate information.

"I think we should ask for monitoring to be done as a matter of urgency," said Coun Peter Seward.

"And if they are not able to do a survey, they should provide us with a detailed set of data so that we can do the work ourselves."

The amount of litter in the two villages has also come under scrutiny.

Next Saturday sees the annual village spring clean and parish councillors discussed areas which needed tidying up.

However, they are angry about certain pieces of private property which were looking shabby, but to which they could not get access.

Environmental campaigner Madeline Beaufoy reminded council members that they could take action to remove litter under the Environmental Protection Act.

"There are areas that are appalling and years deep in litter," she said.

"We all know that there's been high winds, and that's used as an excuse, but it's not an excuse, it's the reason!"

Councillors voted to ask Craven District Council to clean up its allotment site.

Volunteers are needed to help with the clean up tomorrow (Saturday). Anyone offering to help should meet at the entrance to Glusburn School at 9.45am.

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