BIDS to get a better deal through Parliament for hundreds of North Yorkshire villages are being backed by the county's MPs.

The Conservative's John Greenway, who represents the vast rural area of Ryedale, says MPs in all parties are supporting the Local Works campaign for a Sustainable Communities Bill.

Its sponsors say it aims to deal with "Ghost Town Britain" - the closure of such facilities as post offices, village shops, pubs and chemists, which results in a decline in jobs.

Gregory Barker MP, who is leading the campaign, said many organisations had signed up to the proposed Bill, including the National Federation of Women's Institutes, Small and Family Farms Association, the Co-operative Group and the National Farmers' Union.

Other groups covering the interests of older people, sub post-offices, small schools, parish councils, transport and trades unions, have also given their backing.

Mr Barker said: "This campaign is about turning ghost towns back to vital, inclusive sustainable communities and to make this happen we aim to get an Act through parliament."

All local authorities in North Yorkshire, together with town and parish councils and communities, are being urged to back the campaign to drive a change in Government policy.

Mr Gregory said he needed 30,000 people to sign up to the campaign.

The MPs said that the role of the Government should be to enable, support, influence and open doors to help rural communities.

Mr Greenway said: "This Bill has much to commend it for the benefit of North Yorkshire when you see the facilities which have closed.

"It has had an impact on the quality of life of people in the villages, especially those without their own transport and it is time something was done to arrest the decline."