A WARD councillor could have her objection to the siting of a BMX track overruled.

Independent Middlesbrough councillor Joan McTigue gained the support of five colleagues to have a decision to create a BMX track in the town's Beechwood ward reviewed in response to the opposition of locals.

Residents fear anti-social behaviour plaguing the area will increase with the opening of a bike track.

The council's senior legal advisor has written to the authority, which will meet on Wednesday to discuss the matter, to advise them of a change of circumstances following a decision by two of the five councillors backing Coun McTigue to withdraw their support.

Richard Long, the council's director of legal and democratic services and monitoring officer, said: "The fact that subsequent to the decision to call-in, two members have withdrawn their support does not invalidate the process, but nevertheless, is a fact that can be taken into account by the board when considering the matter."

Coun McTigue said residents were not opposed to a BMX track, merely its siting, on what was a "haven for anti-social behaviour" bordered on one side by a £8,500 security fence built by the council to protect the youth and community centre from gangs meeting on the site.

Coun McTigue said: "I will be very surprised if they councillors will listen to me now.

"Local parents will not have their children use this site because they know what already goes on there.

"But it is the residents who will have to live with this decision to put it there."