A NEGLECTED part of Oxenhope could receive a clean-up later this year once potential legal or ecological obstacles have been overcome.

The duck pond off Station Road has become choked up with undergrowth. People keen to see it cleared have set up a Facebook page called Clean up the horseshoe dam.

Oxenhope parish councillors said they welcomed local enthusiasm for the project but they also warned of the need to first try to establish who might own the site, and to make sure no wildlife is disrupted.

Cllr David Ashcroft (pictured) said: "The pond has been like this for 15 years with no-one taking responsibility for it.

"There is a lot of concern over the mess that it's in, but we need to be careful we don't jump in and do something that turns out to be illegal. If we go and clear stuff and disturb wildlife such as nesting birds we'd be committing an offence.

"It would be a good idea to have some sort of proper ecological plan in place. That would be the right way forward, and shouldn't involve a great deal of work.

"It's about getting the balance right between seizing the opportunity to use people's enthusiasm, while not doing something that makes the situation worse."