Owners of one of the region's biggest theme parks are facing an anxious wait as a newly-opened attraction comes under further official scrutiny.

Flamingo Land, near Malton, North Yorkshire, unveiled its £5m Cliff Hanger ride only a fortnight ago after weeks of promoting it as Britain's tallest white-knuckle ride.

But the 55-metre high structure has now come under fire from council chiefs, some of whom believe it could pose a danger to aircraft.

Councillors were split over the issue at a crucial meeting this week and deferred a decision on the ride's future to allow them to make a site visit.

Ryedale District Council approved the design last year, but forced park bosses to submit a new planning application when they discovered the ride had been covered in garish red and white cladding.

At the meeting, Coun Arthur Aslett urged fellow members to reject the application because of the conspicuous height of the ride.

"This is a lot taller than the other rides and I think it is a hazard to light aircraft flying over," he said.

Coun James Bailey said: "This is a retrospective application and had this come before us eight months ago we would not have approved it. I don't see why we should now."

Other councillors suggested that the height of the ride should be lowered by 20ft by partly burying it below ground level.

However, Coun Debbie Aubrook said the height should not be an issue as the authority had already given the principle of the ride its approval.

"I have visited the site and spoken with the owners and they agree the colours are garish. I think we should be looking at having the lattices removed which is what we said in the first place," she said.

The application has been deferred to a future meeting of the planning committee.