A scheme to create a beauty spot along a Ryedale river bank destroyed by ducks has been given the go-ahead.

The project, to turn a river bank eyesore in Pickering into an attractive beckside walkway, will cost £50,000 and will be completed by the end of the summer.

Riverside Walk has become damaged and derelict in recent years, mainly due to a large population of ducks scrambling up the banks of the beck to beg for food from visitors.

But hopes are high that the renovation project, which has been launched by Pickering Town Council, will transform the beckside and attract local walkers and tourists.

Town Mayor Bill McCall said the scheme was badly needed as Riverside Walk, between Hungate, the Ropery and Champley's Mews, had become a dangerous eyesore.

"It is in a dreadful state and the mud on the banks has become very slippery and dangerous for members of the public," he said.

"We are having to put up temporary fencing to stop people getting too close to the banks in case they hurt themselves.

"The big duck population has had a big impact and they have caused a lot of damage to the banks."

A working party, composed of town councillors, is set to meet next week to discuss the finer details and designs for the project.

The main aims of the scheme are to provide residents and visitors with an attractive, safe and hygienic amenity, said town clerk Andrew Husband.

"The beck side will be strengthened to prevent further damage from the ducks and we intend to put flower tubs and shrubs in place to make it more attractive," he added.

"There will perhaps be picnic tables so that visitors using the town's other attractions, such as the North York Moors Railway, will have somewhere to go and eat their lunch."

The project is being funded using £40,000 from the council's reserves and £10,000 from council tax in the coming year.

Plans for the project will be submitted to the Environment Agency for inspection and to Ryedale District Council for planning approval in the spring.

"The idea is that we will have a promenade along the beck which will be one of the attractions which draws people into the town and which will benefit local people," said Mr Husband.

Updated: 10:06 Thursday, January 18, 2001