RYEDALE'S "champion" for young people says she is debating stepping down from the prestigious post after opposing plans to build a new sports centre at Malton School.

Coun Natalie Warriner said she was physically sick during the critical meeting when she was subjected to taunts and jibes from supporters of the project, which was shot down in flames last week.

The current chairman of Ryedale District Council, who was honoured with an MBE for her work with young people, said she was torn between her duty to young people and to the rest of Ryedale.

Her critics questioned her commitment to young people when she opposed the facility which would benefit the youngsters she was supposed to "champion".

She said: "I haven't been able to sleep because I knew I would have to make a very hard decision, which would prove extremely unpopular."

"I was in a terrible situation and I had to leave the meeting to be sick, it was that stressful. People from the public gallery were extremely hostile and I had to suffer personal attacks from some of them, which was extremely unfair.

"As Ryedale's champion for young people I have struggled with this for some time but while I have a duty to support the youth I have to look at what is the best for the whole of the district. This project would serve only a limited number of people in the area and I had to weigh up whether we would be able to afford such a project.

"What the costs are now are not likely to be the real price in a year's time, and I could not face putting the council in financial jeopardy."

She is not considering relinquishing her role as council chairman but added: "If the local community lost confidence in me I would be happy to hand it (champion for young people) over to somebody else. I think in all honesty they have lost confidence in me and that's something I have got to come to terms with. I am devastated about the personal attacks that have been levied against me and I will need some time to take stock of the situation."