A PUB landlord has said he will gladly take control of the start and finish stages of the Yorkshire Three Peaks walk if they were ever moved from Horton in Ribblesdale.

Allan Shutt, landlord of the Station Inn, at Ribblehead, said he would be more than happy to sit down with Yorkshire Dales National Park bosses to discuss creating a setting off point from Whernside to alleviate the problems being caused by noise from organised charity walks to residents in Horton in Ribblesdale.

Horton residents have complained about excessive weekend noise from 5am and a working party has been liaising with the national park to establish a code of conduct for walkers to adhere to which is in its draft stage.

“A lot of the charity walkers come from town and inner cities and don’t know the first thing about country etiquette.

“People have to be educated,” said Mr Shutt, who has run the Station Inn for 11 years alongside his wife, Jo.

He said he would be happy to set up a clocking in station and would organise the walkers.

“It could be organised very easily and I would be happy to be Wyatt Earp and marshal them. All that would be needed is to have a car park in the old quarry and some public conveniences.

"At Fewston and nearby reservoirs like Swinsty they get a thousand people a week walking and Harrogate council gets around £1 million per year in revenue.

“There is no reason why the national park cannot set something up like that at Ribblehead and have it pay for itself.

“The code of conduct which is being created needs to be distributed to Three Peaks users and put in bright colours so they see it. Let people know what the rules are.

“We don’t want the walk to be regimented, the idea is for them to enjoy it but know what is acceptable.

“If the start and end of the walk was at Ribblehead then Horton residents would not be disturbed.

“I could gear up for it by getting portable toilets and a signing in station.

“I’d even get proper medals. We already give them out to those doing the Three Peaks who stay at our bunk barn.

“Let’s encourage people and educate them rather than complain.

“For people to suggest stopping the Three Peaks walks, that is not what is needed,” he said.

Mr Shutt suggested a car park at the quarry could house a railway history museum giving information about the Settle-Carlisle Railway as the shop at the station is hardly ever open.

He said the suggestion of starting and finishing in Ingleton, putting an additional nine kilometres on the 26-mile walk was wrong.

“It would be too far for many. If they started here they could complete two peaks within a few hours and only have one to face in the latter part of the walk.

“Those who become exhausted could walk Penyghent last and then get the train from Horton to Ribblehead.

“I am happy to sit down and discuss these ideas with national park bosses and parish councillors to put suggestions forward as a way of solving the problems people are complaining about.”