FOLLOWING the fatal accident at Bilbrough Top last weekend, the Highways Agency has announced that the notorious gap will now be closed.

However, the agency denied the move was in response to the death of a 19-year-old student.

This may seem odd but bureaucracy moves in strange ways, as illustrated by the fact that the gap will not be closed until next spring.

This gap is dangerous now and will be dangerous until the spring.

Its closure should not be hindered by red tape. So once again we say, shut the gap now.

Updated: 12:41 Friday, September 13, 2002