Residents opposing Bingley's weekly car-boot sale have been backed by councillors.

Members of the Bailey Hills Action Group submitted a 69-name petition to the Shipley Area Committee which agreed to take the issue further.

Councillors, police and council officers said they sympathised with residents who were angry with the congestion and parking problems caused by visitors flocking to the Sunday sale.

And they said they would look into what can be done to alleviate the traffic problems caused by shoppers going to the former auction mart site in Keighley Road every Sunday.

Committee chairman Councillor David Heseltine (Cons, Bingley) said because the sale had been running for more than ten years there was nothing that could be done legally to stop it. "But this doesn't mean we can't do anything to improve the situation and we will be doing all we can to make the lives of people living in that area more pleasant," he said.

"Everyone on the committee is sympathetic and we agreed the Council has to be pro-active on this."

Residents in Bailey Hills Road, Lock View and Cemetery Road, off Keighley Road, complained cars parked on their roads caused access problems and they feared an ambulance or fire engine would not be able to drive onto their roads in an emergency.

They also claimed they were woken at 6.30am by traders setting up stalls.

Coun Hesletine said a report on what steps could be taken would be ready by the committee's October meeting.