A SURVEY carried out by school pupils has given a snapshot of current traffic levels in Otley.

Town Councillor Mick Bradley (Green, Danefield) worked with two groups of Year 10 students from Prince Henry's Grammar School last week.

One group recorded the number of vehicles passing through town during the early afternoon at the Manor Square traffic lights and at Otley Bridge.

They found that 1,100 cars and 200 vans, HGVs or quarry lorries came through Manor Square in an hour, while at Otley bridge about 700 vehicles crossed in one hour.

The other group - both were involved as part of Prince Henry's Global Citizenship Day, Timanyane - had earlier carried out a questionnaire outside Sainsbury's.

Undertaken between 9.30am and 11.30am, the survey found that:

*Only 55 per cent of the shoppers questioned were from Otley

*More than two thirds had used a car to get to the supermarket

*Most currently prefer to use a car - but would like the options of an improved bus service or the return of a rail link to Otley.

Cllr Bradley said: "I would like to thank the students involved and commend Prince Henry’s staff who organise the community day each year, where many students can be seen doing useful tasks around the town."