FEARS an unauthorised 'rave' is to descend on a small village in the district have been voiced after mystery leaflets were dropped at residents' homes.

The leaflets are advertising a charity Smile Festival over the weekend of August 5 and 6 on the outskirts of Clapham, near Ingleton, with the exact whereabouts being disclosed nearer the time, according to organisers.

However, Craven District Council said today that a Temporary Event Notice had been submitted to the council's Licensing department on Friday, July 22, but had since been withdrawn.

A spokesman said it was the first the council knew of the planned event.

It leaves residents wondering if some form of festival will still go ahead and are bracing themselves for a potential influx of thousands of revellers to the remote spot.

A Facebook page detailing the festival stated there would be marquees, stalls, several bands and DJs, camping and parking for 200 cars with proceeds going to the charity MIND and refers to the loss of a friend in December 2020.

However, today the Facebook page has been taken down but listed a large number of bands due to play including jungle DJ Mrs Magoo who recently appeared at Beat Herder.

Her Facebook page still shows the poster advertising the Clapham event and has been widely shared.

The flyer which some residents have been given reads: "Dear resident. We are writing to let you know that we will be holding a free charity festival near you this summer."

It continues: "The camping area will be opening from 9am on Friday and will be closing at 7pm. The arena will be open from 3pm to 12am on Friday and 12am to 12pm on Saturday. There will be a variety of music played at two tents and a few food vans and stalls, also a lovely place for people to camp at night. We are expecting approximately 250 residents to attend including staff.

"As this is usually a very quiet, peaceful area of the world there will be an increase in the usual noise levels as there will be two sound systems playing. To keep the noise disruption to a minimum we will aim the sound away from the public and in to the ground. Also the sound system will be confined in two well insulated tents. There will be parking on site for 200 cars. There will be no paring on any of the roads to reduce congestion and problems.

"The gates for the parking area will be closed at night to avoid traffic moving around late. There will be a professional security team to ensure that the safety and traffic rules are adhered to."

The flyer signed by 'Craig Stephenson and the Smile team' adds that the site will be cleaned up throughout the festival with bins provided for litter. There is also a phone number and email address.

The son of a nearby farming family who asked not to be identified said his family was sceptical of the mystery event which most would regard as an illegal rave.

"There is very little information available though it is thought it is being planned to the west of Clapham village near the station off the Keasden Road along Lawsings Brow which is a single track road that follows the railway line towards Eldroth," he said.

"From what we've learned it is being held in an area between Lawsings Brow and Reebys Lane.

"The flyer suggests it is a charity event and appears to be playing down the number of attendees expected. I'm not sure whose fields the events is due to be held in but my parents were unaware of it and are very concerned."

He added that despite the withdrawal of the licence application, he fears festival-goers may still arrive.

"There is potential for thousands of people to descend on the area. There is a railway station nearby which will have a number of scheduled stops throughout the day. If people arrive and it is cancelled they won't be able to leave immediately so what are they going to do?

"On the other hand we are not certain it won't go ahead or be held somewhere else nearby." 

A spokesman for Clapham-cum-Newby Parish Council said they were unaware of plans for the festival and would discuss it at tonight's (Tuesday) parish council meeting.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said: "We have been in touch with the organiser who is currently working with the responsible agencies to reschedule the event."

However despite the withdrawing of the temporary event notice, it is unclear whether the Keasden event will still go ahead on those dates or be planned for a later date.