parking problems at Horton-in-Ribblesdale are to be addressed by the parish council.

Members have agreed to set up a sub-group who will push for residents' parking, the prosecution of illegally parked cars and better signage.

At a meeting of the council this week, several residents voiced concern that visitors were creating a hazard with badly parked vehicles along the roadside, as well as "trapping" villagers inside their homes, rather than pay £2 for all-day parking in a nearby field.

On one occasion a bus had parked completely on the pavement for a full day, forcing people to walk in the road.

Residents were supported by the police who said they were more than happy to prosecute illegally parked drivers, although a lack of paperwork was making this difficult.

"I am going to address this problem because I am not happy about it," PC Craig Walker told the meeting.

"At the moment we don't seem to be able to get enough parking tickets issued. For instance, on gala day in Stainforth we had four people parking on double yellow lines, but I had only one penalty ticket. Who do I give it to?

"This situation is not right and I am getting on to the admin department about it. At the moment I am patrolling with one penalty ticket.

"Why they are rationing them I have no idea, but I am trying to get my hands on more," he added.

Parish council chairman Sheila Millman said residents were reluctant to leave their houses at weekends because they couldn't park when they returned.

"Why should we be tied to our houses every weekend until the evening? A lot of people are reluctant to go out shopping because of it," she said.

Bill Isherwood, area transport manager with North Yorkshire County Council's highways department, said it should be possible to include Horton-in-Ribblesdale in a residents' parking scheme currently being drawn up in Skipton.

"We are quite a long way on with this and are probably looking at only a matter of months when this can come into operation," he said.

Mr Isherwood added that any residents' parking scheme could not work without an enforcement regime behind it.

"Once we have got an agreement of enforcement we can then legally come up and sort Horton out," he said.

He added that residents' parking had to be self-financing, but this was not possible for Horton-in-Ribblesdale alone as it was a long way for a warden to travel. However, if it was tagged on to the Skipton scheme, Horton could use Craven's existing warden.

Mr Isherwood added that villagers could expect to pay around £15 to £20 a year for a residents' parking permit.

He suggested a parish council sub-group could put pressure on the local authority and police to help sort out the problems.