A FISHING port's hopes of declaring independence from its larger neighbour have been dashed.

Local Government minister Hilary Armstrong said it was "highly unlikely" that Whitby could go it alone and leave Scarborough Borough Council.

The move follows calls by Councillor Robert Broadley, who represents the town on the borough authority, for a referendum to be held on independence for Whitby.

Ms Armstrong said Whitby could only be removed from Scarborough as a result of a directed review by the Local Government Commission, and approval by Secretary of State John Prescott.

There were no plans to reform the structure of local government, she said.

"Our programme of reform for local government is about how councils work, and how they can be more in touch with people they serve," she said.

"We do not want questions of structure to distract local authorities from this agenda."

Ms Armstrong ruled out Whitby going back to its boundary of pre-local government re-organisation in 1974, when the town had its own urban district council.

Coun Broadley said he was disappointed. "But from what I have now been told I don't think it is feasible for Whitby to go it alone," he said.

Scarborough council leader Eileen Bosomworth said: "Whitby has always been well represented in Scarborough.

"There are a lot of people who would wish to go their own way, but the government has decreed it cannot be done."