CABLE laying between Menwith Hill and Leeds-Bradford Airport sparked conspiracy rumours this week.

As information surfaced on more than 20 miles of underground telecommunications cable being laid from beneath the airport to Menwith Hill, all sorts of conclusions were reached connected to the United States listening base.

But both the airport and Menwith Hill - the world's largest monitoring station - denied all knowledge of the scheme which was finally revealed as an apparently innocent expansion of a European company's telecommunications network.

Dubbed the Yeadon to Menwith Hill Interoute Project, the buried cable will cut through Pool-in-Wharfedale, necessitating the temporary closing of Old Pool Bank, Leathley, Stainburn and Beckwithshaw, to the outskirts of Harrogate and then onto Menwith Hill.

Peace protesters working to expose the actions of Menwith Hill believed the cable would be used to carry all sorts of electronically transmitted information and that it could become a potential target.

But Nick McNemeny of London based European communications company Interoute revealed there was nothing secretive about the operation.

"We are just laying a telecoms cable and extending our network, there is nothing secretive about it at all.

"It starts under Leeds Bradford International Airport, where there is an existing cable, and goes towards Menwith Hill where it will connect up with our existing network."

He said neither the airport nor Menwith Hill listening station would know anything about it because it was nothing to do with them.

"We are a pan European company with 24,000 km of network and this is just an extension of that. It is nothing to do with the airport or Menwith Hill and if it was I wouldn't be able to speak about it."

The Yeadon to Menwith Hill project is small scale for Interoute which has just completed laying a cable across the Alps and will be responsible for 90 per cent of the transmission of pictures from next week's Olympics.

The company supplies corporate customers, including British Telecom, and operates in every major European city.

"We are probably the biggest company you've never heard of," added Mr McNenemy.

Meanwhile, Bramhope Parish and Leeds City Councillor Clive Fox (Con, Adel and Wharfedale) welcomed the temporary closure of Old Pool Bank.

"Whatever the reason for the work affecting Old Pool Bank, the majority of those living there will be delighted that through traffic is being diverted.

"Although the top of Old Pool Bank is already officially access only, too many motorists have been in the habit of using it as a short cut, much to the understandable annoyance of local residents."

Menwith Hill, run by the United States National Security Agency and believed to be the world's largest electronic monitoring station in the world, denied all knowledge of the cable laying.

A spokesman said: "I have no knowledge of this and it is not being done at our request. If there was something being done, I would know about it."

A spokesman for North Yorkshire County Council knew about the Yeadon-Menwith Hill Interoute Project and said it was expected to be completed by October 29.

He added: "We will be taking the necessary action while the work is being done to minimise disruption."