Euro MP visits Goathland near Whitby to sign the petition to keep Heartbeat

In the last decade Whitby as increasing popularity like never before. This is due to many things like the HMS Endeavour Ship visiting, the numerous events like the Whitby Goth weekend's and the old faithfuls like Whitby Abbey which is the second most visited tourist attraction in 2008. Not forgetting of course Bram Stoker's Dracula and its associations with Whitby. But the biggest advertising that Whitby has received is very popular television programme a Heartbeat which is set in the late 1960s and is filmed in Whitby and Goathland's and surrounding areas. So it is extremely upsetting to a lot of fans of the program that due to the cutbacks it is almost certainly due to be axed. The petition was started at the Goathland post office by Susan and Brian Taylor at the beginning of February and then there was a spin-off petition at the Whitby Grapevine Cafe and restaurant which was signed by 10,500 people from across the world. Even the Euro MP Timothy Kirkhope visited Goathland to sign the petition to save the program. on Saturday morning and his meeting with the Taylors, Mr Kirkhope, who represents Yorkshire and Humber in the European Parliament, said: "I immediately wrote to Michael Grade, chief executive officer of ITV to make him aware of the strength of feeling and the possibly devastating consequences of the decision to the local economy. If the program is axed which looks very likely it will be a shame, but it will always be associated with Whitby and will never date due to its period setting and music.

"As well as delivering consistently good ratings for ITV, Heartbeat also does a great deal to support the local rural economy of Goathland, Whitby and the surrounding area.

"It is possible that the local post office and shop will have to close if the programme is not re-commissioned and pubs, cafes and hotels will suffer badly from a loss of the tourist trade and the staff and crew who regularly used local facilities.

"I am deeply concerned for the future of this beautiful village."

Whitby cafe owners Mark and Tracy Witherington, who run the Grapevine, have collected almost 1,000 signatures in just over a week.

He said: "I intend to give the person who is the thousandth to sign the petition a bottle of Greengrass ale that we sell in the cafe."

And postmaster Mr Taylor added: "We've had publicity about it in the national press and it was very good of Mr Kirkhope to come – he's very concerned about the local area."

ITV said they have a stockpile of new episodes which will last at least a couple of years and the show is an important part of their schedule.

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