A HIGH Court damages case over noisy RAF aircraft could set a precedent for North and East Yorkshire sufferers, a Ryedale campaigner said today.

Howard Griffiths believes that a £950,000 award to a couple whose lives were ruined by noisy jets could lead to a rash of cases in the county.

Mr Griffiths, who lives at Bulmer, but resided for many years at Norton, spoke out after farmer Darby Dennis and his wife Catherine were paid damages for "unbearable" noise caused by military aircraft flying over their home on the Cambridgeshire border.

Noise campaigners have hailed the victory as "hugely significant" and John Stewart, of campaign group HACAN ClearSkies, said the judgement paved the way for similar actions.

Mr Griffiths said he had been contacted by dozens of people who were distressed by the noise of aircraft from RAF Linton-on-Ouse.

He pinpointed the trouble to training flights of RAF Tucano planes, which are used to teach new pilots how to handle the skies.

Mr Griffiths said the noise could be "very detrimental" for the health and well-being of some people and warned that further cases could follow yesterday's High Court verdict.

He said: "The main problem in Ryedale is the training aircraft from Linton-on-Ouse. The noise is droning and then they can dive out of the sky, which makes a high-pitched screaming sound.

"The level of noise depends on the number of aircraft in the skies at any one time. The noise is so loud, you can't block it out very easily."

An MOD spokesman said: "We believe this case to be specific to Wittering, the reason being that the house was literally in the flight path. It was based on a common law case and, as far as the RAF is concerned, there is not this specific problem in North Yorkshire."

Updated: 10:22 Thursday, April 17, 2003