THE row over whether shops in Ilkley can be protected properly from ram- raiders and other burglars without creating a major eyesore has been joined by the town's MP.

Labour MP Ann Cryer has called for meetings between police and planners to develop security measures which would be practical and acceptable to everyone.

The debate was sparked by an attempted ram-raid at a lingerie shop and an order for unauthorised shutters to be removed from a beauty shop.

The attempted ram-raid at Xqisit in Leeds Road failed to net the thieves any stock because of internal iron bars but it still caused around £10,000 worth of structural damage when a car was driven into the front of the building.

Shop owner Cherrie Armstrong has pleaded for bollards to be placed in front of the shop to stop cars being driven at the window.

And an Ilkley beauty salon which has lost thousands of pounds to burglars has been told to take down its protective steel shutters.

Rouge, in Chantry Drive, has been broken into three times within eight months and suffered a ram-raid last November in which the thieves escaped with £8,000 of stock.

Business partners Sarah Oakley and Rachael Skirrow installed steel barriers outside the shop but they have been outlawed under Conservation Area rules. The shop owners applied for retrospective planning permission but were turned down.

After being contacted by worried business people Mrs Cryer has been attempting to get police and planners to come to an agreement.

A spokesman for Mrs Cryer said: "There is no point in the police making suggestions to companies on how to avoid crime and the planners turning them down.

"We are trying to bring the two together in an anti-crime strategy which the planners can accept.

We should be trying to get businesses to flourish and we need to find a strategy between police and planners to protect businesses from any more attacks.

"We are talking to the police about it and they are going to have another look to see what sort of measures are required."

Once the police have made a report Mrs Cryer will take it to the planning authorities to see if they can agree on the measures needed.

She said she was hoping that whatever work was thought necessary would qualify for a grant from the Government sponsored Anti-Crime partnership.

David Giddings, spokesman for the Ilkley Business Forum said that ram-raiding only effected certain shops in the town where high-value easy to carry items such as perfumes and designer clothes were the target. He said that putting shutters up outside the shops would not be a popular move.

"Whatever we do, we can't have Ilkley all shuttered up - there are restrictions throughout the town and it is a very hard one to overcome," said Mr Giddings.

He added: "I think it is far better not to be taking such heavy measures. There is only going to be a percentage of people that this will effect.

"People desperate for stock or money will go to any lengths. I am concerned like anybody else as a shopkeeper in Ilkley. We have got to sit down and think about it.

"If they had a shutter on the inside of the shop they would not have to get planning permission to get it fitted."

Jackie Fairhurst, who works at Kids Unlimited on Grove Promenade, does not have to worry about ram raiders because the shop lies behind a concrete walkway, but that has not kept the thieves away.

The shop opened in October and there were two break-ins in April where children's clothes were the target prompting the owners to install internal shutters on the windows and door.

"It is very annoying and a lot of expense," said Ms Fairhurst.

Modus in Brook Street opened just before Christmas, selling a range of men's designer clothes.

Manager Claire Harmer said sliding shutters were fitted inside the window as soon as the shop opened.

Miss Harmer said: "It is something we had to think about as soon as we moved in. We are in a prime position - it is just easy money for thieves."

Mrs Cryer is hoping that meetings between traders, police, planners and Ilkley Business Forum will produce a solution acceptable to all.