TWO young men died near Scarborough in one of a spate of accidents across North Yorkshire.

The men were travelling in a white Vauxhall Cavalier on the A172 Racecourse Road between East Ayton and Scarborough at about 8.30 last night.

There were no other vehicles involved and the men died instantly.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "The driver lost control on a left-hand bend and the vehicle overturned along the grass verge."

The driver, who was aged 18, and his passenger, 22, were both from Ryedale.

Fire crews had to use hydraulic rescue equipment to remove the bodies from the wreckage.

Earlier last night, five people were taken to hospital after a head-on collision on the A19 between Shipton-by-Beningbrough and York, which closed the road for seven hours.

The accident occurred at 6.50pm and involved a grey Citroen Xsara and a red Vauxhall Corsa.

The driver of the Xsara, who was not injured, has been named as David Buck, 35, of Jacobi Close, York.

His passengers, Davina Johnson, 30, Arron Johnson, seven, and Aimee Johnson, four, all of Jacobi Close, were taken to York Hospital.

The driver of the Corsa was Sheila Donaldson, 52, of Stokesley. She was also taken to York District Hospital with her husband, Malcolm, 59, who was suffering from chest injuries.

He was said to be in a serious but stable condition.

Police are appealing for witnesses to both accidents to come forward and contact the witness line on 01723 509555.

And at 6.50am this morning, both carriageways of the A64 just north of Tadcaster were blocked following an accident between a Peugeot and a Land Rover towing an empty horsebox.

Nobody was injured but the driver of the Peugeot decided to go to hospital for a check-up.

An AA Roadwatch spokesman said: "The situation was more or less bedlam."

The road was cleared at about 9.30am.

A 20-year-old Wetwang woman who was injured when her Fiat Cinquecento left the A166 at Garrowby Hill, East Yorkshire and crashed into a nearby farm building on Saturday morning, was today said to be in a stable condition in Hull Royal Infirmary.

Updated: 10:49 Monday, February 17, 2003