PROPOSALS to permanently lock up a cycle path where a woman reported being raped in broad daylight have sparked a row in York.

Access to the path, which runs between Kitchener Street and Wigginton Road, is blocked off at 10pm each night, when two barriers at either end of Hambleton Terrace are locked.

Earlier this month a mother-of-two reported how she was raped by a knife-wielding attacker along the path in a terrifying ordeal in broad daylight.

Now locals want the gates in Hambleton Terrace closed permanently, saying they play a key role in keeping out rising crime levels.

The doors are shut nightly by street resident Colin Barton, who formed a Neighbourhood Watch group which campaigned for the gates to be installed.

The father-of-two said he had seen crime escalate over the years with cars targeted, tyres slashed and wing mirrors broken, and criminals making off down the cycle path. He has even installed CCTV in an effort to catch the culprits. "Every vehicle I have owned has been broken into, my house has been broken into once and attempted four times," he said.

"I walk down the street in total darkness and lock the gate when villains want to get through. I don't want to spend the rest of my life policing my street."

The street's Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator, Rakesh Aggarwal, whose car has been targeted, said the gates had driven down crime.

"We feel we have a strong argument for keeping the gates closed," he said.

But Dave Jackson, who maintains the cycle path for sustainable transport charity Sustrans, said the request was "totally unreasonable".

The charity had allowed the gates to be shut at night time because of complaints about nuisance behaviour, he said, adding: "There's no way we want the gates shut permanently. It is a very busy area.

"A lot of people use that route and those accesses. It is part of our Safer Routes To School network and provides a safe crossing under a dangerous bridge with speeding cars."

PC Matt Smith, ward manager, said he intended to discuss the thorny issue with residents, and suggested a rota of volunteers for "gate duty".

"We would encourage anything that assists us in deterring and lowering crime. It appears these gates have done that," he said.

Clifton councillor Ken King said there were other access points on to the cycle path close to Hambleton Terrace.

"It wouldn't be a particular hardship if they closed these gates," he said.

"If residents can demonstrate that crime significantly drops because of the gates, it is something I would support on their behalf."

Updated: 11:00 Wednesday, August 17, 2005