THE harbours at Scarborough and Whitby will be hard hit by a drop in income if threats to slash fish landing quotas go ahead.

Councillor Michael Pitts, Scarborough council's cabinet member for the harbour and the economy, gave the warning to the authority's economic and community development scrutiny committee, saying the European Union proposals on the cuts would have "serious consequences" on the harbours' income.

However, there are plans to increase income at Scarborough's 750-year old harbour by building more pontoons for leisure craft and there are inquiries about possible cargo trade for Whitby.