A YORK grandfather claims York's Christmas market is getting so overcrowded at times that it's too dangerous for kids.

Steve Harris sent The Press this picture of shoppers crowded into the pavement between the market and Marks & Spencers' store in Parliament Street at about 3pm yesterday afternoon.

Steve, owner of York minibus firm Anytime Travel, said:"It was like being on The Tube in London. It was too dangerous for kids.

"If I had had my grandkids with me, I would have left.

"It was very, very slow. I had a guy behind me with his family who really was about to lose it. Quote - to his wife: "I am going to barge through this s***, just keep behind me."

"She replied: "Don’t be silly."

Steve said that if a problem developed in the crowd, he felt sure someone would get hurt.

"Coney Street was a lot quieter, and you could move around a lot better," he added.

Steps have been taken by market organisers in recent years to reduce the overcrowding, which tends to be most acute on Saturday afternoons.

The number of rows of stalls inn Parliament Street has been reduced from three to two, and a trail of Nutcracker statues has recently been created across the city centre to encourage people to explore quieter parts as well as the market.