Ilkley should not be allowed to develop a reputation as a boozy town full of

rubbish, it has been claimed.

District councillor Colin Powell (Con, Ilkley) is disgusted at the empty bottles and cans of alcohol, rubbish and dog mess he has found in one of the town's beauty spots.

"I am appaled at the litter I have seen in the Riverside Gardens and by the bridge. There is also evidence of drinking, quite possibly under age drinking, although I cannot say for sure of course," he said.

Coun Powell said the amount of rubbish and 'empties' varied from week to week but the combination of litter, cans and dog mess did little to promote Ilkley's image as a tourist town.

Coun Powell accepts the police have to catch wrong doers in the act but would like to see officers occasionally inspect the area in question.

His concerns about Ilkley's reputation as a tourist town have been raised only days after fellow councillor Anne Hawkesworth (Con, Ilkley) was informed by a tourist, Ilkley had the worst toilets she had ever seen.

Inspector Alison Bennett said officers had powers to confiscate alcohol from

people believed to be under age.

However, she said officers could not be everywhere at once. Priority had to be given to 'incidents' in Ilkley, particularly during a busy weekend when the pubs are full.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.