The owner of a historic fairground ride began to demolish it yesterday after its protection as a listed building was lifted.

Residents and councillors expressed their "regret" but Paul Teale, the owner of the aerial glide at Shipley Glen pleasure ground, said he was within his rights to take down the ride, believed to date back to the 1930s.

Yesterday concerned residents spotted Mr Teale dismantling the aerial glide ride at Shipley Glen pleasure ground, Baildon.

It was given emergency grade II listed building consent last year after residents contacted English Heritage concerned about the future of the ride.

But Mr Teale said the protection was removed on February 17 after an inspector saw the amount of corrosion on the ride.

He said the inspector from English Heritage was "appalled" at the advanced state of corrosion and had told him the design was of no architectural interest.

He said: "I am three quarters of the way through demolishing it because it is a liability. It is clearly unsafe and in a very dangerous condition. The idea was to dismantle it and replace it with something similar.

"I was surprised by just what a bad state it was in when I have been taking it down. I have had to be very careful as the rust is extensive and there is a lot of metal fatigue.

"If I wasn't taking it down I suspect it would fall down before too long.

"It could take as little as three weeks for the whole thing to be demolished."

As previously reported, residents had campaigned successfully for the ride to be listed in November, when it was threatened with demolition. Just four days after the listed building status was granted in November, Mr Teale attempted to demolish the ride, but was stopped by police and Council officials.

Mr Teale said at the time that the ride was in a dangerous condition and he could not afford the cost of repairing it, estimated at £50,000.

A resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "From a purely historical point of view it would be such a shame to lose that ride."

Ward Councillor John Briggs (Liberal Democrat, Baildon) said: "The tramway is the main attraction up there now but anything that takes away from that is regrettable."

A spokesman for Bradford Council said: "The Department of Culture, Media and Sport has delisted the aerial glide at Shipley Glen, therefore as the structure is no longer listed the owner is acting lawfully and within his right if he wishes to dismantle the ride."