The curious case of a set of roadside bollards which were repeatedly mowed down on the edge of a Wensleydale village has been explained.
A strange sequence of events which saw the bollards chopped down, replaced and then chopped down again on the eastern approach to West Witton left parish councillors baffled.
The saga began when a number of bollards, which it is believed were installed several decades ago, were recently flattened during roadside grass-cutting work.
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West Witton Parish Council reported the damage, prompting North Yorkshire Council highways officers to inspect the site.
Following the inspection, the authority stated the bollards were not required for road safety and they should be removed rather than replaced.
However, barely a week later, a new set appeared in the same location.
Within days, the grass-cutting contractor returned and the replacement bollards suffered the same fate as their predecessors.
The parish council highlighted the incident in a tongue-in-cheek account of the saga, which it described as one of life's great mysteries.
It asked: "Who built Stonehenge? Is there life on Mars? And why does North Yorkshire Council keep planting bollards on the eastern approach to West Witton, only for someone to mow them down?"
Describing the incidents as a four-act drama, the parish council questioned whether different departments had failed to communicate with each other.
It added: "The score now stands at: Grass cutter 2 - Bollards 0. Council taxpayers: Please don't ask."
The parish council even suggested installing a sign reading "West Witton Bollard Nature Reserve Please Do Not Feed The Mower", before concluding that it would probably be flattened too.
North Yorkshire Council has now explained the mystery, confirming the replacement bollards were re-installed by mistake.
Barrie Mason, the council's assistant director of highways and transport, said: "A number of bollards in West Witton were damaged on two occasions during grass-cutting work carried out by our contractor.
"After the first incident, we checked the site and concluded the bollards were not needed for road safety, so the decision was taken not to replace them.
"Unfortunately, because of a misunderstanding, a new set of bollards was installed in error. Some of those were then damaged during another round of grass cutting.
"As the bollards are not needed for road safety, the remaining ones will now be removed and re-used elsewhere in North Yorkshire. We are discussing the matter with the contractor and will be looking to recover costs where appropriate."
The council has not disclosed how much the repeated damage and replacement work has cost.
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