TWO men had an amazing escape when their lorries skidded on black ice, ploughed through a garden hedge and smashed into an outhouse less than ten metres from a row of cottages.

No one was hurt in the accident, which involved a recovery vehicle and the gas cylinder lorry it was towing, but the outbuilding was completely demolished and all but two of the cottages were evacuated for three hours until the scene was made safe.

The crash happened near Easingwold, on the B1363 at Brandsby Bank, as the recovery vehicle, towing a lorry carrying empty propane gas cylinders, travelled down the bank towards York.

Police said that where the road bent round to the left, the convoy left the road on the right hand side after skidding on black ice, crashed through a hedge and was brought to a stop by the outbuilding.

The recovery vehicle driver and the lorry driver were both in the recovery vehicle at the time of the crash, and escaped with minor injuries.

"I'm all right. Shaken, not stirred," said the recovery vehicle driver, who asked not to be named.

Divisional Officer Robert Webb, of North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said at the scene: "We have asked the residents to temporarily move into the two end cottages as a precautionary measure. There is no risk from a gas leak and both vehicles are stable, but obviously we want to keep the residents in as safe a place as possible while the vehicles are recovered.

"There is also the risk the vehicles could be destabilised while they are recovered. They are in a difficult position and so, as always, we want the area to be as safe as it possibly can be."

The B1363 was closed all night after last night's accident, which happened at about 8pm, and diversions were put in place via Yearsley.

The road was still closed today as salvage staff worked to recover the vehicles.

Mel and Judith Blaydes, owners of the outbuilding, returned home from a day out to find the scene of destruction.

Mr Blaydes said: "It is insured, but I'm not thinking about that yet. Obviously it is a big shock."

Neighbour Gillian Carter was at home when the crash happened.

She said: "It felt as if the world was coming in. It made the most horrendous sound. You could hear the gas bottles and all the bricks collapsing."

Mrs Carter's husband, Michael, said: "We ran straight to the door. "The noise had been incredible and I thought it must have been a huge vehicle that had crashed, but I was really shocked when I saw there were two lorries in the front garden."

Updated: 12:26 Wednesday, December 11, 2002