Twice as many Malton people are dying each year as are being born, Government statistics reveal.

And in the rest of Ryedale, the picture is similar, with death rates exceeding birth rates.

But the population is still rising and is increasingly made up of people migrating in from outside the area.

As a result, the "Yorkshireness" of the area is on the wane, it is claimed, and house prices are rising.

The figures, from National Statistics, show that for the last year for which information is available, there were 54 births to women resident in Malton.

But the same year, there were 105 deaths of local people.

In Pickering, there were 58 births and 97 deaths.

In the Acomb area of York, by contrast, 83 babies were born while 73 residents died.

Malton town councillor Des Reed, who was born and bred in the area, said the decline in the number of true Maltonians and the increased numbers of "incomers" would lead to the loss of local traditions and ways of life.

"I am pleased in many ways that people from outside think that this is such a nice place that they would like to live here," he said.

"We welcome them but hope they will integrate and become part of us and not just be weekend visitors."

Coun Reed said that Malton was going the way of Old Malton, which at one time was inhabited purely by "Peakers", as natives are called.

"You can count the Peakers on the fingers of two hands now," he said.

Dee Higgins, of Boulton and Cooper Estate Agents, in Malton, said Ryedale was a popular area with people from elsewhere in the country taking up jobs in York and Leeds, or retiring.

"This area is in demand now and York is so expensive that people are moving further afield," she said.

"But as there are few properties on the market this keeps prices up," she said.

Mrs Higgins added that local first-time buyers looking for property in sought-after Ryedale villages were unable to afford the prices because of demand from outside.

Simon Pitts, of the research and information office at North Yorkshire County Council, said that from 1998 to 1999 the last year for which figures are available there were 500 births in Ryedale.

In the same period 600 local people died.

Mr Pitts said: "But the issue is purely down to migration into the area which takes up the slack."

Updated: 08:45 Wednesday, June 13, 2001