GOATHLAND, the village which is known to millions of TV viewers as Heatbeat's Aidensfield, is facing a parking crisis.

Thousands of inspired tourists visit the picturesque village every year, but villagers are now fed up of the cars they bring with them.

To make their point, they have vetoed a plan to turn a farm field near the village into a car park, an idea designed to help cope with the steady stream of visitors at peak times of the year.

The Yorkshire Moors National Park Authority had wanted to create a car parking area in a field near Goathland's picturesque parish church.

But at a packed public meeting, residents living close to the field complained their lives would be made a misery if the plans went ahead.

David Brewster, head of park services, said the green field site would be used for only 28 days a year, to assess the impact of the idea.

But the park authority was willing to carry out the trial only if it had approval of the villagers.

Mr Brewster said the authority would not press ahead with its plan.

Before its national and international fame as the setting of Heartbeat, Goathland attracted about 250,000 visitors a year. Today the official figure is put at 1.5 million.

Villager Bob Swales, who has lived in Goathland for 30 years, believes it should be possible to close the village when it reaches its visitor capacity.

He said: "Football stadiums, theatres and village halls all have limits imposed on them and Goathland has reached its limits."