TEMPERS flared when protestors lobbied a meeting in an attempt to persuade councillors to block a bid for new bus bays at Richmond School.

At the moment, coaches delivering and collecting children have to squeeze into a limited number of spaces while the drivers, battling school-run traffic, have to be alert for youngsters crossing the roads.

At the moment, teachers are issued with horns to sound when children are on board the buses to let the drivers know all their passengers are on board and they can pull away safely.

But the new bus bays, which would be established on the school fields overlooked by properties on The Avenue, are designed to ease the congestion and separate the coaches from parents' cars.

However, residents with homes nearby are angry their view from their windows could change from green fields to lines of parked buses.

Others have also claimed the proposals could exacerbate the risk to pedestrians as more buses will being pulling out of the school grounds on to Darlington Road.

Residents spokesman, John Barlow, was given special dispensation to speak at a meeting of North Yorkshire County Council's Richmondshire area committee on Monday.

He urged members to stall any final decision until the implications of Richmond School's successful bid for special status as a centre for performing arts have become clear.

He pointed out there are also plans to relocate the Lower School from Station Road, while neighbouring St Francis Xavier School has also announced a major redevelopment. Mr Barlow said it could be worth negotiating a deal which would see all the school's buses parked on one site.

In reply, committee chairman Coun Michael Heseltine urged Mr Barlow to submit his arguments to a planning committee meeting on June 10.

However, another protestor then demanded his views should also be heard.

He was asked to sit down but continued to shout his own objections over the chairman - then marched off.