RESIDENTS in a Domesday Book village are devastated by one man's decision to drive a road through their communal green.

The green, in Low Worsall, near Yarm, is owned by parish council chairman Leslie Bainbridge, who has decided to build a road across the site to link up with a new bungalow on his land, at Worsall Manor Farm.

But residents claim the digging of the road, which started on Wednesday, is destroying the land which is registered as a village green and is regularly used by everyone in the village.

Mr Bainbridge was granted planning permission by Hambleton District Council to build the new bungalow and access road.

A spokeswoman for the council said: "We were aware that the green was registered and informed the applicant that if he needed any other consents he would have to get them over and above what we had approved."

The residents claim Mr Bainbridge needs the permission of the Secretary of State for the Environment to cross the land. But a spokeswoman for the Central Office of Information said it was up to the district council to decide if anything was wrong with the application.

Mr Bainbridge said: "I do not do this kind of thing without taking legal advice and have all the permissions I need.

"The work will continue and I will be giving another piece of land to the villagers, which will double the amount of space they have."

But residents say the extra land is in poor condition and is unsuitable for general use.