CAMPAIGNERS who fought against noise levels coming from Croft Circuit reacted furiously last night after council chiefs agreed to drop legal action against the race track.

The revelation that Richmondshire District Council will abandon its case against circuit operators provoked outrage among residents of Croft and Dalton-on-Tees, near Darlington.

The authority decided to withdraw a noise abatement order issued to the circuit after taking new legal advice which suggested its arguments would not stand up in court.

The latest development came as a hammer blow to people living nearby, who claim noise generated by race meetings and practice sessions is making their lives a misery.

Jane Wright, who has led the Croft Autodrome Action Group's campaign for six years, said: "We are desperately disappointed with the district council's decision, especially as its officers have acknowledged over the past few years that the activities at Croft Circuit do represent a statutory noise nuisance.

"But if the obtrusive noise doesn't stop, then neither will we in pressing the council to take positive action in the future to restrict this noise nuisance. Sympathy is just not enough and now the suffering will go on."

Councillors met privately last night to hear solicitors' advice that the authority's noise abatement action would be likely to fail and would cost the public purse thousands. A final hearing on the issue had been scheduled to take place at Richmond magistrates' court in November.

District councillor for the area, Jane Parlour, said the decision would lead to continued suffering for residents.

"It is an insult to the residents who on a regular basis have to put up with this intrusion into their peaceful enjoyment of the countryside," she said.

The council says it will set up a working party of members and officers to open discussions with Croft Circuit to minimise the environmental impact of the track. But Coun Parlour said this was a poor attempt to appease residents.

Nobody from Richmondshire District Council or Croft Circuit was prepared to comment