A COUNCIL-RUN film festival dealing with environmental issues has run into controversy after a complaint was received from one of the companyies featured.

Scarborough Borough Council will not reveal which company has contacted the authority to complain about the way it is portrayed in one of the films, but has made it clear that it will still be showing the film in question.

The festival takes place on the town's South Bay beach on August 28.

It will feature four-and-a-half hours of films on a variety of environmental issues, including factory farming and the transportation of nuclear waste.

One of the films is about a group of surfers from Scarborough and Whitby. It shows the controversial US Ghost Ships sailing in the background as the locals surf in the mouth of the River Tees.

There are also a number of adverts making fun of various companies, in particular, those in the automobile industry.

The council's environment and sustainable development officer, Daniel O'Connor, said: "I'm not sure how they even heard of this festival. We are not at liberty to say who has contacted the council, for legal reasons, but there is a number of controversial films showing multi-national companies involved with large-scale pollution and other environmentally damaging activities."

The festival is a partnership between independent arts development agency Create, Screen Yorkshire and the borough council.

Pete Massey, director of Create, said: "Can I emphasise to all those coming to the event that the event will still include the film which is causing the controversy."