A company boss has sparked fury after ordering his workers to use a forklift truck to move a parked car which was blocking an articulated lorry's path.

The incident has come as rows escalate over the number of lorries using the industrial site in Deanstones Lane, Queensbury.

Residents say firms at County Ground Works are to blame for increased traffic and noise. Queens-bury Upper School has objected to trucks on safety grounds.

But the animosity between the firms and residents took a new turn when the parked car was lifted 4ft down the road by the forklift truck to allow the lorry to get out.

Car owner Howard Thewsey, 38, who works at Queensbury design firm Spellman Walker next door to County Ground Works, said he was livid to discover it had been moved from where he had parked it. Mr Thewsey, of Farsley, said: "I had parked just past their drive making sure I was well clear. I came into work and the next I knew I got a phone call saying my car had been forklifted out of the way.

"I was shocked and angry. In my opinion I wasn't doing anything wrong - and what right have they got to move it out of the way?"

But County Ground Works boss Bob Nix said: "It's a very big entrance and this artic simply couldn't get through. We didn't know whose it was. We didn't have much option. It was sticking well out of the entrance.

"We went round the estate. The problem was there was a lot of cars out there with parents picking up children.

"The driver waited around but he was getting quite frustrated. The wagon was straddled across the road and cars were queuing.''

Neighbour Shirley Hurrell said: "It proves the entrance can't cope with vehicles that size."

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