A DISPUTE which has divided a small village in a North-East beauty spot is to go before a High Court judge in London today.

The row centres on a plan to operate an animal incinerator to replace a slaughterhouse at Charltons, near Guisborough.

Villagers in the community of under 500 are divided over the issue. There are those who support the Noddings family, who own the slaughterhouse, and those who claim it will spoil their neighbourhood.

The incinerator has already been built, but a licence for it to be operated has not been granted.

Now, protestors have filed a demand for an injunction to prevent it being used - and for it to be demolished.

The High Court will be told that protestors believe a proper environmental impact report was not carried out before planning permission was granted by the North York Moors National Park Authority.

The authority has argued that it complied with the law.

In a separate development on Tuesday, a petition containing 785 names was handed in to Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council. The petitioners are seeking to convince councillors before they decide whether to grant an incinerator licence.

Protestor Len Peacock said: "This is no place for an incinerator. As the petition shows, we've had support from all over the place, not just Charltons. I think the divisions in the village are exaggerated and we have a lot of support."

At least 16 homes in the village's two streets display posters in support of Mr Peacock. Parish councillor John Toombes also supports the campaign.

But people stopped in the street yesterday had a different view. "I've known Ted Noddings all my life," said one 73-year-old woman, "and I can tell you they (the family) have done everything for this village."

Applicant Edward Noddings, whose family have lived in Charltons since the 1920s, said: "I have done everything the National Park Authority and Redcar and Cleveland council has asked and that includes the looking at the environmental impact. I know I could find 80 or 90 people who would sign a petition on our behalf tonight.

"We have had that much aggravation from some people, very few, that I have stopped my staff from going to a shop in the village."

The slaughterhouse and incinerator lie at the bottom of the village, which is off the A171 and is less than 100 metres from houses. It has the capacity to deal with one tonne of animal waste an hour but would only rarely operate at full capacity. The chimney is 12 metres high.