A THEME park featuring mazes, statues and tunnels has been refused planning permission - despite winning the support of business leaders.

More than 80,000 people visited the Forbidden Corner at Middleham in the Yorkshire Dales last year, four years after it opened.

The scale of visitors to the attraction, which was opened without planning permission, has prompted fears the surrounding country lanes are unable to cope.

Yesterday the Yorkshire Dales National Park turned down a request from park owner Colin Armstrong to keep it open - for the second time.

Now the theme park's fate lies with an appeal against the original decision to refuse planning permission, to be decided at a public inquiry next month