KITE fliers have defended their hobby in the face of pressure to leave a Kirklees beauty spot bordered by power lines.

A row erupted two weeks ago when three Honley youngsters were ordered by a Kirklees council warden not to fly their kites on top of Castle Hill.

They were told their toys could become entangled in power lines just below the summit.

Three new warning signs have been placed the edge of the hill above the danger.

Yesterday, however, kite fans climbed to Castle Hill at midday for a showdown.

Many kites soared in the air in a show of defiance against moves to discourage fliers from using the flat-topped eyrie.

Young families let children fly their colourful kites on the hillside.

And joining them was the Castle Hill Flyers kite group.

Members fly powerful kites on the hill and have wind-powered vehicles such as land boards and buggies.

All wear protective gear including crash helmets and knee pads and take out third party insurance.

They said Castle Hill was ideal for the sport because it had `clean' updrafts.

Julian Barrow, 40, travels all the way from his home in Leeds.

"We were under the impression the signs at the bottom of the field were warning people about the power lines over there, not this side of the field," he said.

"We are not kids. When you have got expensive kites you're going to look after them."

Kevin Fryer, aged 41, of Slaithwaite, said they used `kite killers' to ensure a kite dropped to the ground when the user let go.

"I think the council is being over-cautious," he said.

Phil Dyson, 35, of Almondbury, added: "It would be hard to drop a kite on those power lines. The only time anybody spends time on that side of the field is when there is an easterly wind."

When that happens, he said, a kite would be blowing directly away from the power lines.

Mike Madden, 45, of Honley, who organised the fly-in, said: "There's a safety issue but everybody here is intelligent enough not to fly their kite near power lines."