Emmerdale bosses have pledged £2,000 to an Ilkley Moor volunteer group in a dispute over damage caused by filming.

Heads of the ITV prime-time soap have offered to make good damaged ground close to the landmark Cow and Calf Rocks, and restore a moorland footpath for the Friends of Ilkley Moor (FOIM).

A stunt shoot for the soap took place on the moor around a fortnight ago.

Heavy vehicles gouged tyre tracks into the moor, a protected Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and churned up a little-used moorland track.

Voluntary body FOIM called for the soap’s producers, ITV Yorkshire, to make amends.

FOIM chairman, Owen Wells, welcomed the pledge — and is inviting the soap to send a guest to an opening ceremony for the refurbished path. Mr Wells said: “We have been very pleased to have some contact with Emmerdale at last and we appreciate the promised donation of £2,000.

“We also appreciate the fact that they will be restoring the footpath we’ve been wanting to restore for some time.”

The FOIM was set up to help landowner Bradford Council protect and improve the iconic landscape in the wake of a destructive week-long fire in summer 2006.

The group’s work has included cutting back out-of-control bracken and improving footpaths in an effort to stop erosion of other parts of the sensitive environment.

Mr Wells says Emmerdale’s restoration of the Cow and Calf Rocks to Backstone Beck path will mean there is a good footpath leading all the way from the rocks to another Ilkley Moor landmark, the ancient carved Swastika Stone. Talks previously took place between ITV Yorkshire and Bradford Council, which authorised the shoot.

The company has already done some repair work.

Emmerdale’s spokesman did not wish to comment on the donation.