Dispersal order in Ilkley following riverside fight

Dozens descended at a beauty spot in the spa town of Ilkley, in West Yorkshire

A 48-hour dispersal order has been put in place in a Yorkshire town popular with tourists after a fight broke out among dozens of people gathered at a beauty spot.

West Yorkshire Police said the fight broke out among a group gathered by the river in Ilkley on Wednesday afternoon.

The force said the order would remain in place until Friday.

The dispersal order gives police the power to remove or direct people away from the spa town.

Officers said anyone breaking the order would face up to three months in prison or a £2,500 fine.

Earlier this month, Councillor Anne Hawksworth claimed residents of Ilkley were "afraid to go out" after dirty nappies and toilet paper were left strewn in the town.

The order means police have the power to prevent people going to the area

Rubbish - including beer bottles, takeaway boxes and drug paraphernalia - was left strewn at the site on Wednesday, while it was a similar picture on the Stray, in Harrogate.

Harrogate Borough Council slammed those who littered the area as "selfish", the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) reports.

Judy d'Arcy Thompson, chair of the Stray Defence Association, said littering had "turned into an avalanche" in recent weeks.

A council spokesman said: "Unfortunately these people don't even bother to use any of the many bins provided and just leave rubbish where they were sitting.

"We are doing what we can with the resources available and have increased our collections to try and manage the problem.

"However, it isn't just about emptying bins. Our teams are now having to walk the length and breadth of the 200 acres of the Stray picking up what people have left behind."

North Yorkshire Police officers would be patrolling areas in towns and cities, including the Stray and riverside areas in York, where crowds were congregating.

Supt Charlotte Bloxham said: "We're aware that a minority are behaving in a way that is not just unpleasant for other people, but is also illegal."