BRIDGE repairs to guard against another Great Heck rail disaster will begin next month, the Evening Press has learned.

Work will start on four road-over-rail bridges, which have been identified by experts with North Yorkshire County Council as needing improvements.

The bridges, at Dalton-on-Tees, Danby Whisk, Thirsk Station and on the B1448 at Thirsk, which all cross the East Coast Main Line, will be given priority.

But Railtrack may not be able to help with the estimated £100,000 maintenance cost - because the repairs could be a highways issue.

The county council has looked at all of its bridges in the light of the February 28 train disaster which killed ten people.

A Land Rover driven by Lincolnshire man Gary Hart left the M62 and was hit by a York to Kings Cross passenger train, which then hit a freight train travelling in the opposite direction. Hart was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving and was due in court for sentencing today.

Last month, a meeting was held in Durham to discuss a risk assessment programme which assesses necessary repair work on the basis of a grading system.

Now almost a year after the tragedy at Great Heck, work is finally due to begin to ensure it cannot happen again in North Yorkshire.

Mike Moore, director of environmental services with North Yorkshire County Council, said: "We are expecting to start work in February. The four bridges are all on the East Coast Main Line and, having targeted them as a potential risk, we want to get work started.

"We were hoping to receive some cash from Railtrack, but I can't see them coming forward with cash. We have £100,000 put aside for this scheme and we want to get something done before the end of the financial year."

A Railtrack spokeswoman said: "We have been working very closely with North Yorkshire County Council. We don't have any authority to work on the road system and there has been some consideration that this work could be a highways issue. We are waiting for recommendations on this from a working group."

Updated: 11:02 Friday, January 11, 2002