A HONLEY man is planning a protest against a ban on kite flying at Castle Hill.

And Mick Madden wants people to join him to fly their kites at Castle Hill on Sunday in a High Noon showdown.

He said: "We will go there and show Kirklees Council that we can fly kites if we want to. It is ridiculous to say we can't."

A row erupted over kite flying last week after Honley youngsters Toby Mellor, nine, and his twin siblings Max and Ellie, six, were told by a council ranger working at Castle Hill that they could not fly their kite.

The council insist it is dangerous because of power cables close to the hill.

The children's mum Samantha was told the kite could get tangled in power cables.

The council claims signs have been on Castle Hill for 20 years asking people not to fly kites because of the power lines.

There is a sign on the Victoria Tower warning about kite-flying and three new signs have been put up on a path above Lumb Lane. There are no signs on the Almondbury side of the hill.

Kite flying fans claim the ban is wrong.

Mr Madden said: "It's rubbish. We have been flying kites here for years and I don't know anyone who has been injured.

"We should be doing all we can to make it an area where families want to go and have fun, with a picnic and with a kite.

"I just hope people take up the idea and come along on Sunday at noon".

The council did hold Kite festivals at Castle Hill in the 1980s.

FACTFILE:

* Kites were being flown in Asia as long ago as 1000 BC. l They have been used for fishing , scaring birds from crops, and as a toy- and in wars. l In Korea, newly born children had kites flown and released for them, taking away any bad luck they had been born with. l Kites were introduced to Europe by explorers including Marco Polo, who returned from China in 1295. l In 1749 a Scottish meteorologist named Alexander Wilson used kites to lift thermometers to a height of 3000 feet to measure temperature variations at altitude. l Three years later, Benjamin Franklin used a kite to demonstrate that lightning was similar to the static electricity.

* The Kite Society of GB now boasts 3,500 members