CRITICS of a planned £130,000 cycle route linking Middlesbrough and South Lackenby say it will increase anti-social behaviour.

The 6.5k route, said to be a "missing link" in the National Cycle Network, will connect schools and community facilities in the area. But residents and councillors fear it will encourage anti-social behaviour and plan to fight the proposal.

The route will go on and off road, starting from Old Middlesbrough Road, South Bank. It will then go along Harcourt Road, on to the dismantled railway line and Station Road, linking to the existing network route along Eston High Street to the A174 Greystones roundabout.

Teesville councillor Sheelagh Clarke, who is collecting names for a petition against the planned route, said: "When the old railway track was first made into a walkway there were terrible problems with motorbikes riding up and down and an increase in burglaries.

"Then barriers were put up and that did a lot to help solve the problem.

"But if they build this new cycle way and the barriers come down, motorbikes and quad bikes will again be able use it. It will be a nightmare for the residents who have to live nearby. They will have to live with the anti-social behaviour.

"The current walkway, which is very narrow at certain points, is also used by children going to Normanby Primary School. I worry about the danger to them if a cycle track was built."

But a council spokesman said that new barriers would be installed to stop problems.

"We have delivered 900 leaflets to homes that either front or back on to the proposed route, giving information about the proposals which we hope will increase usage by both pedestrians and cyclists, reducing and discouraging anti-social behaviour.

"Councillor Clarke is correct when she says we will be taking the existing barriers down, but we would advise her to read the leaflets which explain we intend to put up new, improved barriers, which we believe will stop the use of motorcyclists and quad bikes, something the existing barriers fail to successfully achieve."

Plans are on view at libraries in Grangetown, Eston and Ormesby until September 24.