PLANNERS have forbidden one of North Yorkshire's most unusual and popular tourist attractions.

The Forbidden Corner, near Middleham, was yesterday refused retrospective planning permission by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.

The corner, a folly comprising statues, underground caves, gardens and towers, which was visited by 70,000 people last year, opened without permission three years ago.

Members of the authority's planning committee decided that, even though the attraction was popular, its continued use would be against local, regional and national planning policies, and it was causing extra disturbance to local residents, including the race horse industry.

But the final decision on whether the Corner can remain open will be down to a Government inspector, who next month will hear an appeal by the site's owner against an earlier enforcement notice requiring it to be closed down.

PICTURE: Forbidden Corner: Planning refusal