A David versus Goliath battle in north Wales intensified on Wednesday when campaigners called for their town green to be saved from bulldozers.

For the last two decades the Willow Hill playing fields in Llangollen have been used for sport and leisure.

It is our playing field and I want my children in the future to use it and I think it should be safeguarded

Helen McGreary, Campaigner

But Denbighshire County Council have granted planning permission to build 50 houses on the site.

A Welsh Assembly Inspector has now been called in to chair a three day meeting to decide whether the field can be saved and made into a village green.

The housing developers and county council have opposed the assembly intervention and are keen to begin building work.

Under the plan five new homes will be built on the actual field and more than 40 other houses will be erected nearby.

Helen McGreary, chair of the Save Our Green Fields group has been campaigning to stop the development plans for four years.

New houses would be built on the field

"It is our playing field and I want my children in the future to use it and I think it should be safeguarded," she said.

"There is always someone on the field and if the building work goes ahead we would have less green space where people could exercise."

The 27-year-old added: "There are so many other places to build houses - these are executive houses anyway so local people won't buy them."

Many Llangollen residents are expected to attend the inspectors hearing at the town hall from 0900 BST.