THOUSANDS of leaflets are being handed out as part of a campaign to prevent historic cobblestones in an East Yorkshire town’s marketplace being removed.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council wants to take up the stone sets as part of a £2.5 million programme at Beverley’s Saturday Market, which will see pavements being widened and parking areas changed, as well as other work.

But hundreds of opponents of the plans staged a protest march during the weekend before Christmas and have delivered a petition to the council. A contractor has already been appointed and work will start later this month. English Heritage has said the cobbles should remain and the Beverley Civic Society has also objected to the plans, but the council said reaction to the proposed changes had been positive.