A CAMPAIGN has been launched to rid Otley of heavy lorries.

Steve Tolley, of Billams Hill, wants to see heavy gravel lorries banned from coming through the town.

He claims the relentless traffic of 44 ton trucks down Newall Carr Road and through the centre of town is having a devastating effect on buildings including Otley's historic bridge.

But haulage company Longthorne of Hebden, near Skipton, has hit back - saying it is operating within the law and has come through Otley for more than 30 years.

And the company boss says he is considering legal proceedings after Mr Tolley allegedly drove a car at one of the wagons as it drove across the bridge.

Mr Tolley says pedestrians,

including schoolchildren, are being put at risk by having to dodge traffic and he believes underground gas pipes are being damaged by heavy traffic.

Now, Mr Tolley, a sales director, is calling for a weight restriction taking in Newall Carr Road up to Manor Square - with access only for Otley hauliers Jefferies.

He has launched a campaign - called Operation Orange - and is calling on residents to sign a petition.

"I'm not asking for much, all I want is for them to use the proper trunk roads like they're supposed to. They could use the A59 and the A65 instead of coming down Newall Carr Road.

Mr Tolley, who is being treated for skin cancer, is writing to Prince Charles and deputy Prime Minister John Prescott to appeal for support.

He is determined his campaign will win - although he has now put his house on the market because of the traffic.

But Mr Longthorne, of Longthorne hauliers, said if there was any other route his wagons would use it, but they had to get to sites across the whole area, including Guiseley, Bramhope and Pool-in-Wharfedale.

He added all of the wagons are fitted with special retarders on the gear boxes which gives them greater control as they come down the hill into Otley. "We have a job to do and we try to do it the best we possibly can. You've got to live and let live and at the end of the day, you can't stop progress," he said.

Mr Longthorne, whose company operates more than 30 wagons and which has a monthly diesel bill of £100,000, says avoiding Otley would add 27 miles onto journeys.

Mr Longthorne also accused Mr Tolley of acting foolishly towards his vehicles, saying "he rushes at the

drivers and shakes his fist at them and has been jumping out in front of wagons. One had to swerve to miss him."

A spokesman for Leeds City Council said: "We will only be able to respond in detail to people's concerns when we have actually received the petition.

"Billams Hill is on the very edge of Leeds City Council's jurisdiction, and it is likely that should any new measures prove necessary, they will have to be jointly agreed by ourselves and North Yorkshire County Council.

"However, it must be recognised that the lorries are making legitimate use of the road to access the quarry sites and we are not aware of any recent increase in traffic."

Anyone interested in signing Steve Tolley's petition can telephone him on (01943) 468665.