Residents in two quiet Ryedale villages have spoken of their fears about proposals to run a rehabilitation unit for drug addicted prisoners in the area.

If approved, the unit would be run at Redcar Farm, on land owned by the exclusive private school Ampleforth College.

It would be run by the charity Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust, which works with offenders to try and break their cycle of reoffending.

But residents of Ampleforth village, and nearby Gilling East, are worried about the effect on the area if a group of drug addicts moves in.

And they intend to voice their concerns at a public meeting to be held this Friday, when all the issues linked to the proposed unit will be discussed.

It will be attended by local magistrate Lady Clarissa Collin, RAPT representative Colin Bland and Ampleforth Abbot the Right Reverend Timothy Wright.

A leading Ampleforth resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said she will be attending the meeting and has urged all fellow residents to do the same.

She said: "There are a lot of elderly people living here, myself included, and we are all afraid and concerned about what might happen if this unit is approved.

"We have been told that the people who would be living there are being given treatment for drug addiction. But they have not been cured, and what if they decide they want to procure drugs. They do not care who they steal from and they could hold any of us elderly people up."

However, a spokesman for Ampleforth Abbey said the meeting was being held in an attempt to soothe residents' fears and give them all the information they need.

Things are still very much at the proposal stage, the spokesman stressed.

He said: "The Abbot would never do anything in the area which would affect the safety or quality of life for any of the residents, and he wants to make that clear during the meeting.

"He is very much with the people in the community - he is, after all, a member of the community himself and is very happy to discuss any concerns with local residents."

The meeting will be held in the Old School, Gilling Village, from 7.45pm.