Campaigners will take over a city car park if John Prescott says no to a public inquiry into the new Coppergate II scheme.

The protesers are planning direct action next month in the Castle car park, if the deputy Prime Minister refuses to bow to pressure for an inquiry.

Today a group from the Castle Area Campaign Group was in Leeds delivering a 4,500 name petition to the minister's department calling on him to hold a public inquiry into Coppergate II.

They are opposed to the £60 million shopping centre Land Securities want to build on Castlegate car park next to the Coppergate Centre.

"We have got the will, we have got the skills, and we have got the numbers to win this battle," said the group's secretary Frank Ormson to more than 100 people at its first public meeting.

To applause, he said: "If John Prescott denies us our public inquiry, I think we should take to the streets immediately."

At the end of the two-hour meeting last night at Priory Street Centre, off Micklegate, campaigners agreed to take over the car park on Saturday February 10 by holding a picnic there if the decision has gone against them by that time.

They want the site turned into a green park where residents and visitors can relax and admire the city's historic castle keep, Clifford's Tower.

Campaigners expect Mr Prescott to give his decision on Wednesday, February 7, three days earlier.

Other plans include a letter-writing campaign asking the owners of Clifford's Tower, English Heritage, to explain why it backed the Coppergate plans and further street demonstrations.

People at the meeting queued to record their support for the group, which is to set up a website.

They heard that the group had backing from other parts of England.

York businessman Adam Sinclair told them that the scheme met the planning requirements for a public inquiry and that if one was not held, it would be a political decision.

After the meeting, chairman Gordon Campbell-Thomas said he was "very, very heartened" by it. He had opened the meeting by stressing that the campaign was non-party and non-political.

Updated: 09:02 Wednesday, January 31, 2001