Scarborough Council is planning to remove six short-stay parking spaces in Ramshill Road and move them to Royal Avenue as part of the new park and ride bus scheme.

Independent businesses fear they will lose thousands of pounds in custom and ran a petition to stop the plans being given the go-ahead.

More than 2,400 people signed the petition and more than 140 people filled out a form run by the Evening News to support the traders.

Our campaign posters can be seen in windows at many of the shops in the road.

The petitions and forms have now been handed in to council officials at the town hall in St Nicholas Street and a decision will be taken at a meeting of the cabinet on Tuesday July 22.

Neil Metcalf, of Westbourne Grove, helped to organise the petition with Michael Cockill, who owns Cockill's Lighting in Ramshill Road.

He said: "We would like to thank everyone who signed the petition. It's a truly magnificent effort. The community feels under threat.

"We will be attending the next cabinet meeting and we will have a protest on the day of the meeting at the town hall just to make sure the cabinet members are aware of our views and vote it out immediately."

He also handed in six letters from residents and traders, who are opposing the proposals.

Andrew Backhouse, cabinet member with responsibility for transport, said: "The size of the petition shows there's a healthy interest in the issue. This will be taken into consideration and will be debated in cabinet."

John Riby, head of technical services for the council, added that the petitions and forms would be taken into account at the cabinet meeting.

The spaces in Ramshill Road would be replaced with another six on the northern side of Royal Avenue next to the junction with Ramshill Road, replacing the existing three-hour disc and permit parking on that part of Royal Avenue.