IT was billed as the return of a seafaring legend - but at one famous fishing port it seems too many Cooks could spoil the broth.

Colin and Rachael Jenkinson last week revealed they were harbouring ambitious plans to build a one-third size replica of Captain Cook's ship Endeavour and sail it out of Whitby once again.

But the prospect of the Scarborough couple taking tourists and Cook enthusiasts on leisure trips has angered pleasure craft owners in the town.

The Jenkinsons were criticised by Barry Sneddon, who runs trips on a former lifeboat, the Mary Ann Hepworth, and Barry Rodgers, who has a similar business with the Kingfisher.

They fear the lure of such a famous name to visitors could kill off their businesses, and are also furious that a couple from nearby Scarborough are cashing in on Whitby's heritage.

But Mrs Jenkinson said: "This wasn't the intention at all. We thought it would attract even more people into Whitby.

"There 's no way we want to take anybody's livelihood away from them. A Whitby boatyard would be building it ,and that is surely more jobs for Whitby."

Mrs Jenkinson added: "We would dearly love to build the Endeavour. We genuinely feel that it would not take anybody's livelihood away."

The town's links with the Endeavour stretch back centuries and more than a million people flocked there to see an Australian-built replica arrive in 1997.

Scarborough Borough Council has now delayed a decision on whether to back the Endeavour project to consult leaders of the Whitby boating community.