SURVIVORS of the Selby rail crash today criticised two reports which concluded that work to prevent a repeat of the tragedy could not be given "instant priority".

Ginny Clark, chairwoman of the Highways Agency working group, said any new safety schemes would have to be considered with other road and rail projects.

The reports, commissioned in the wake of the tragedy which killed ten people at Great Heck a year ago this week, concluded that the risk of a repeat is "low".

But the Health and Safety Commission and Highways Agency, who produced the reports, said it was not "insignificant" and put forward a raft of 19 separate recommendations.

These include carrying out a thorough risk assessment of locations to see if new safety measures are needed within the next 12 months.

However, the HSC report states: "Blanket measures at all locations...would waste large amounts of time and effort that could be used to achieve much greater safety improvements elsewhere."

The report estimates that an accident on the scale of Great Heck occurs "once every 300 to 400 years".

But it also reveals that cars have been hit by trains, causing fatalities, five times in the last ten years.

On four of those occasions a car left a road, or bridge, and ended up on the rail tracks.

Selby survivor Mark Russell said: "Anything that prevents any form of accident, whether it's on the tracks or not, has to be worth doing. Any work would be money well spent. Human life is irreplaceable."

Janine Edwards, another survivor, said: "A disaster like Great Heck could easily happen again.

"Trains carry a lot of people. You can't put a cost on human life. All it takes is for someone to leave the road."

Andy Hill, on board the Freightliner which was struck by the GNER express at Great Heck, said: "I've worked on the railways and I can see both sides. This work does need doing.

"It seems to be the history of railways that cost comes first. I think that's wrong, but where do you draw the line?"

Mike Moore, head of environmental services at North Yorkshire County Council, which is set to pump £100,000 into repairing four rail bridges, cautiously welcomed the report, which praised his authority.

"I am delighted that our work has been recognised," he said.

"But if you look at the four bridges we're working on then it is obvious that work needs doing.

"There is a public confidence issue here."

Updated: 11:07 Tuesday, February 26, 2002