Protest held against decision to fill in Queensbury Tunnel

McWilliam said saving the tunnel came down to “people power”.

“We need people to make a big noise and say this is a bad use of public money, it’s a bad decision and it really shouldn’t happen,” she said.

Some people had travelled from Bristol and London to attend the protest, she added.

“This is not just a local issue; this is an issue that should have national attention.”

She said the cycleway was “absolutely essential” to connecting Halifax, Bradford and Keighley.

Judith Cummins, MP for Bradford South, said the tunnel was a “jewel in the crown of Bradford, Queensbury and Yorkshire”.

“There’s hardly any of these kinds of tunnels left in the whole of Europe. It’s a real heritage going forward for future generations to have this asset,” she said.