URGENT action is needed to tackle flood water problems near a North Yorkshire village, according to a local councillor.

Coun Christine Lewis, a Liberal Democrat representing the Ouseburn ward on Harrogate Borough Council, is urging North Yorkshire County Council to take action to prevent water flooding off fields and on to the B6265 Boroughbridge Road, near its junction with Little Ouseburn.

Coun Lewis said: "In the last few months, there have been at least two accidents where cars have left the road, and it is only a matter of time before there is a two-car head-on crash.

"Cars travelling along the B6265 have no warning of the water coursing down the road until they round the bend and find themselves aquaplaning."

She said it was the responsibility of the county council to prevent field water causing a road hazard, and called for ditches to be dug out to enable excess water to run off safely.

She said: "Preventing accidents is a key priority in the NYCC local transport plan.

"Digging some effective drains alongside the B6265 would be a good step to fulfilling this objective.

"The risk of water on the road near the village is increasing, as global warming brings more frequent storms."