Car parks were full and Whitby Co-op was operating a one car in, one car out policy.

Traffic on Bank Holiday Monday at lunchtime was so heavy motorists were gridlocked some way back from Sleights Lane End roundabout and all the way into town.
Shops, pubs and restaurants throughout the Whitby area were all busy and any premises with outdoor seating areas in which people could sun themselves were equally full.

Chairman of Whitby and District Tourism Association, Harry Collett, said overall the bank holiday was a successful weekend.

“I don’t think it was quite as busy as regatta but there were a lot of people in town mooching about.”

Mr Collett added the busy weekend highlights more than ever why the town needs a park and ride – a scheme was turned down earlier in the year for Whitby by the North York Moors National Park Authority.

He said the town’s biggest problem is car visitors and suggested a monorail running a shuttle service every 10 minutes into the town centre would be one way of decongesting the streets of traffic.

Hotelier Dick Brew, who runs the Arches guest house in Havelock Place, said it had been an excellent bank holiday weekend.

“It was another exceptional bank holiday,” he said. “Town was full, the weather was good, the skate park was well used.

“The town seemed very busy which was a welcome relief.

“Whitby speaks for itself. All we need to do now is stop the clampers in the railway station car park.

“It was a great weekend, long may it continue. Whitby deserves the positive publicity it gets because it’s such a nice place.”

Insp Dave Barf of Whitby Police added: “Everybody seemed to enjoy themselves. There wasn’t any serious disorder. Certainly there was nothing anybody has raised with me. It was no worse than any other weekend.”