Councillors have again criticised a million-pound leisure trail -- just days before its official opening.

The first stage of the Great Northern Trail (GNT), between Cullingworth and Queensbury, opens on May 23, with a ceremony outside Cullingworth Primary School.

However, district and parish councillors have accused the scheme's organisers -- alternative transport pressure group SUSTRANS -- of ignoring concerns.

Councillors are concerned the site, which has been turned into a cycleway, footpath and bridleway, has become a magnet for anti-social behaviour.

Residents also fear youths could be killed if they fall off the viaduct, which crosses Haworth Road and Manywells Brow.

District councillor Simon Cooke said at the latest Cullingworth Parish Council meeting: "When the project started, everyone was up for this trail and supported it.

"All we asked is that they did it with us rather than to us. However, they've done it to us. They've ignored genuine concerns about property and safety.

"Their attitude is one that they've got planning permission and now they're going to do what they want. They're destroying any goodwill they had."

Cllr Cooke also claimed the scheme was short of money and that people in Denholme and Thornton would be similarly concerned as the trail developed.

Parish council chairman Cllr Bryan Hobson added: "They have a disregard for residents and little regard for other people's properties. It's not just about the cost. My impression is that they have an attitude of no responsibility for this. There seems to be an indecent haste to get to Thornton.

"We have also the use of motorcycles and four-wheel drives on the path."

Fellow councillor Liz Balding said: "We do want the trail in Cullingworth but SUSTRANS has to take responsibility for the safety of the project.

"A number of these problems were highlighted by the parish council two and a half years ago, when the plan was first mooted.

"The villagers and parish council have subsequently been accused by SUSTRANS and some sections of the local press as being negative and "bleating".

"We have always maintained that the GNT was a good idea but that public safety and residents' security and peace of mind cannot be ignored. I am sure that if any of our critics lived adjacent to the route, they would immediately understand and sympathise with those householders."

However, Jeff McQuillan, chairman of the Great Northern Trail forum said he expected the popularity of the route to deter troublemakers.

"I think it will be very popular and the more people who use the trail, the safer it will be. We really want it to be an important asset that people of all ages will use," he said.

"We take concerns about anti-social behaviour very seriously and we expect the police to deal with any criminal behaviour, which we will report.

"It is important the route is not given bad publicity because of one or two incidents. You have to look at it in the context of one or two problems while there are hundreds of thousands of miles of such trails across the country."

Representatives of SUSTRANS, police and residents will all walk along the trail next Thursday, at 10am, in an attempt to solve the problems.