A woman claims her home town is 'under siege' from tourists and she has been forced her to leave.
Sonia Bell moved to the countryside eight years ago, but was born in York.
But she claims she was driven out of her home' by an increase in prices and a massive influx of tourists.
The 36-year-old claims the city is now is targeted at tourists and students and people like her are forced into smaller towns and suburbs, reports Yorkshire Live.
Sonia also says it's too expensive for residents after property prices in York shoot up and Airbnb lets appearing everywhere and driving locals out of their homes.
She said: "I was born in York and moved out eight years ago because of the prices, it's ridiculous I cant afford to live in York.
I started avoiding the city centre when I was 18 and I'm now almost 37, it just got worse and worse and worse. It's 100% tailored to tourists.
"Where I live now if I need to go shopping I go 20 miles to Hull rather than having to go into York."
"I live in a little town and it's the best thing I ever did."
Sonia says City of York Council gears the city towards outsiders rather than spending money it on residents and the homes that need it.
She added: "The council plough all the money into the city centre for tourists and students and forget about the locals, my mum and dad have had damp in their tiny flat for 10-years.
"All the houses are falling to bits because they don't use any money on it.
"It's awful, the locals are just forgotten about they really are.
Sonia claims: "There is nothing for locals and it's too expensive, all the locals avoid the city centre like the plague.
"I took both my sons out in York and every single place was jam packed - we ended up at Wetherspoons.
"I feel like a stranger in my own city, it's not the York I grew up in."
The 36-year old also claims the surge in tourism has affected traffic in the area as well as access in and around York and claims the traffic has got so bad air pollution affects her mum's health.
Sonia said: "I rarely visit York I just don't go at all, my parents now come out to visit me - my mum has COPD and her breathing gets better in he few hours that she comes out to visit me.
"And the traffic is ridiculous getting into the centre.
"I used to love and be proud of my city of birth, but now I find it hard when the city doesn't care about its own residents."
