VISITORS to a tourism magnet are being left stranded because RAF radars are setting off vehicle immobilisers and alarms, say residents.

Radar beams from RAF Fylingdales, on the North York Moors, are on the same frequency as alarms and immobilisers, motorists in Goathland have discovered.

Drivers of some makes of car, and many motorcyclists, are left trapped in the village and must be towed out of range of the base before they can restart their vehicles.

National Park car park attendant Bill Peirson said: "As soon as the alarms go off I usually go over to the owners and explain it could be the Fylingdales radar.

"Sometimes, if you get very close to the car engine and press the alarm, it can work. But not always."

Mr Peirson said he noticed Jeep Cherokees, some Mercedes, and also BMWs seemed to be affected by the radar frequency.

He added: "Motorbikes are the worst. There's one almost every weekend.

"There was a bike alarm screaming all afternoon recently and the rider wasn't in any breakdown cover.

"I asked a friend in the village with a trailer to tow the guy away, and as soon as they reached Sleights, out of Fylingdales' range, it stopped."

Whitby shop owner Frank Doyle regularly visits the area in his Mercedes Vito van to make deliveries .

He said: "I have got stuck three times in less than two weeks - I have to keep getting in touch with the breakdown people.

"I am very fed up with it. Not only is it inconvenient, it messes up the business and my social life.

"Now I have to keep the engine running when I am on deliveries, and I can't visit friends in sight of the dreaded Fylingdales."

Goathland resident Jackie Fearnley said: "I understand that car alarms do go off, but this is becoming predictable.

"It is disturbing all the residents, and I don't think that can be very good for tourism."

Wing Commander Chris Knapman said RAF Fylingdales was aware of the problem, but that it was not down to the base to resolve the situation.

"Frequencies are allocated by an authority to commercial, military and government users, and the allocation is very tightly controlled. We have obviously had these frequencies a very long time.

"As far as we are concerned the radars are working on frequencies which are well known and well used, and most manufacturers take that into account."

A spokesman for Jeep Cherokee said their advice would be to get as close to the car as possible to try to override the radar.

Once inside the car, the key should start the engine and deactivate the immobiliser.

But he added: "The problem is that the Government gives such a small band to operate in and effectively the radio wave we use for the key fob is restricted because of that."

Updated: 11:36 Thursday, October 10, 2002