A CAMPAIGNER who is calling on road chiefs to take urgent steps to improve safety at an accident blackspot on the A64 near Malton has won the support of local politicians.

Ryedale district councillors Howard Keal, Marian Hodgson and Lindsay Burr have thrown their weight behind local resident Phil Collings’ petition, with Ryedale MP John Greenway also backing his appeal to the Highways Agency (HA).

Earlier this year, we reported how a woman had a lucky escape on the A64 when her car collided with another vehicle and burst into flames. She suffered a broken wrist in the crash, which happened on a dual carriageway section at the junction with the road to Castle Howard. The stretch of road is notoriously dangerous, with cars on the eastbound carriageway coming over the brow of a hill shortly before the junction, where other vehicles are trying to cross the road to reach a gap in the central reservation before joining the westbound carriageway.

As part of his campaign, Phil Collings photographed the junction, showing how motorists try to cut across the dual carriageway to get through the gap.

In an email to Mr Collings, who owns a cottage at Slingsby, Coun Keal said he was very happy to endorse the campaign. “I’ve taken a look at the impressive array of photographs which clearly demonstrate the potential for a fatality,” he wrote.

In another email to the campaigner, Hazel Dales, secretary to Mr Greenway, said: “Mr Greenway agrees that the Barton Hill junction is extremely dangerous.”

Mr Collings said that while a flyover might be too expensive and impracticable, other measures could be taken - for example, a 50mph limit enforced by cameras as vehicles came over the brow of the hill.

The HA said in June it was aware of local concerns about the junction and had already been looking at possible improvements, such as improving signage and road markings.

* Anyone wanting to give their views to Mr Collings should email him at: a64safetycampaign@hotmail.co.uk