Drink-fuelled weekend rowdiness is hampering volunteer initiatives to improve Otley.

That is the warning being made following recent incidents of late-night anti-social behaviour and vandalism.

Yellow Tour de France bikes, planters, and shop windows were targeted by vandals on Friday, January 6 and Saturday, June 7, when traders also reported seeing some fighting and people urinating in the streets.

The incidents concerned are regarded as 'low-level' crimes - and Otley's Neighbourhood Policing Team says it has not seen any recent upsurge in trouble.

But Tim Wilkinson, who with his wife Helen runs Dowgill House guest house on Bondgate, claims they are nevertheless tarnishing Otley's image and creating more work for dedicated voluntary groups like Otley in Bloom.

He said: "We did experience worse than normal problems over the June 7 weekend. On the Friday, the noise was like feeding time at the zoo at 2.30am, which is not unusual.

"Saturday saw some violence and foul language, sadly witnessed by our guests as they arrived back."

"And ask the people who set up the Farmers Market about their first duty of the day - it's sweeping up broken glass."

Leonie Pearce of Otley in Bloom, said: "At our last group meeting we discussed vandalism to the Tour bikes, which has happened a couple of times."