PLANS for a crime-busting network of CCTV cameras at York Railway Station have been blasted as "regrettable, dehumanising, ineffective and extremely intrusive" by residents.

GNER, which manages the station, has applied for permission for the cameras, as well as extra lighting for them to see by, in an effort to improve security for passengers and staff.

The outcry against the plans for the Grade II listed building was led by the Bishophill Neighbourhood Forum.

Their comments to City of York Council's planning and transport committee, which will discuss the scheme on Thursday, said: "The proposal to achieve security through the provision of hardware rather than by using station or security personnel is, in principle, regrettable, dehumanising, unsocial and ultimately self-defeating.

"It may prove to be ineffective, capital-intensive and extremely intrusive in the environment of this masterpiece of a station."

But the council's development control officer, David Johnson, said the CCTV cameras and lighting scheme would not have any adverse impact on the listed building or the conservation area, if the equipment was coloured to match the surroundings the existing corporate colours.

"The impact on residential properties will not be significant, and the applicants have designed it to ensure minimal additional glare," he said.

A spokesman for Great North Eastern Railway, said: "We want to ensure that our passengers can travel rest assured that they will be safe when they get off, and that their car will be there to pick up.

"A lot of the buildings we manage are of architectural interest so any work on them is done in a very sensitive way to minimise the impact on the neighbourhood.

"But we need to make the station more secure and we are doing it across a number of stations to deter would-be criminals."