CRAVEN ARMS has been split in two by demolition workers who have sealed off a much- used walkway in the town.

Work began on Monday at the auction yard site where several large corrugated iron buildings and pens used to hold sheep in the town's market heyday are to be demolished.

But townspeople are angry that a 7ft wire-mesh fence now circling the whole of the former market car park and preventing people using the short cut from the A49 into Dale Street.

Mike Sykes, innkeeper at The Stables in Dale Street, adjacent to the site, was happy to see the bulldozers move in, but most unhappy when the fence went up.

Right of way

"They have blocked off what I'm sure is a right of way," said Mr Sykes. "This has effectively split the town in two. A lot of people come along here to use the shops and my pub. Parents use it to take their children to and from school."

Mum Lisa Tromans said the demolition work needed to be done but it was a pity the developers had not informed people the walkway was going to be closed.

At the Fruit Bowl in Market Street, owner Roger Harper said closing the path certainly wouldn't help his trade.

"I don't see why they couldn't have just left a path through the middle," he said. "People will now have to go down Corvedale Road and round to reach us. With Christmas coming it's not going to help us at all."

Other residents were happy to see the demolition men move in, even if it did mean some inconvenience.

Tracey Horton, mother of 11-year-old Adam, said: "I'm glad they are knocking these buildings down. I don't let Adam play there but some kids have been getting in there and doing silly things and they could get hurt. It is an eyesore anyway. We are looking forward to the new centre."

However, it is unlikely that work on the scheduled £7.5million scheme will start this year as planned. The Highways Agency has objected because it has concerns about access, deliveries by large vehicles and the internal road layout.

"We are working with the Highways Agency to resolve access problems," said district council planning chief James Caird. "But the auction yard buildings are in a poor state and it was felt they really ought to go."