TRADERS received a nasty shock this week when clamping signs were mistakenly put up in a village car park.

Incensed traders feared the signs could put off villagers from using local shops.

Peter Settle, owner of The Corner Shop, on Main Street, said: "It is something that caused a lot of people aggravation.

"Clamping people who are just visiting a

village shop or the post office to pick up a

pension seemed to be heavy handed."

The car park at Burley Grange has been the centre of a long-running debate since it became home to the Adult Education Centre, in 1993.

It was reserved for the use of students only, leaving many villagers nowhere to park when visiting shops.

An uneasy status quo is maintained with many residents flouting the regulation - as they feel it rightfully belongs to the village.

Mr Settle said he had interpreted the signs as a 'provocative' move on the part of college authorities. He said: "I do not want to turn this into a town versus gown situation. But it is a case of finding a compromise, which means local businesses can trade effectively."

Other traders too had expressed concerns about the signs - which did not even state the penalty fee or who may be contacted to release vehicles.

Norman Winward, proprietor of adjacent Country Corner, said: "Loyal customers were complaining that there was nowhere to park.

"If people can't park they go through to Ilkley. There is Booths only three miles down the road and it is supermarket shopping again.

"Ilkley College has closed and sent all its classes to little Burley and done nothing to help us in the way of accommodating all these cars."

Dr Leslie Brown, director of human resources at the Grange, said: "They were put up by mistake, as soon as we found out they'd gone up, we took them down."

Dr Brown believed they had been put up mistakenly by contractors who are also introducing them at the main Bradford campus. Mr Settle said he and other traders were now breathing a collective sigh of relief.

He said: "We are pleased that they have been removed as we clearly did not want it to affect our businesses.

"We are back on a more co-operative road."

Committee members of Burley Community Council had also been surprised at the signs - as they had emerged from positive talks with college leaders about enlarging the car park.

They intend to submit a joint planning application to Bradford City Council with a view to creating more spaces and returning it to general use. The college was originally designated for village use by the former Ilkley Urban District Council.