A convoy of lorries will be passing through a York village for nearly a month so that a mine shaft can be filled.

Bishopthorpe Parish Council has agreed to let four lorries use the village as a route to North Selby mine shaft, which is to be filled using rubble from the redundant Acaster Airfield.

Originally the mine's owners, RJB Mining, wanted to spread the lorry traffic between Copmanthorpe and Bishopthorpe, but the latter's officials offered to take the full brunt of the convoys, worried that Copmanthorpe could not cope with them safely.

Bishopthorpe Parish Council chairman, Brian Mellors, explained: "We recom-mended that coming through Copmanthorpe was the last thing RJB Mining should do, because someone could be killed.

"Copmanthorpe has narrower streets and lots of on-street parking, and with it being the summer holidays it wouldn't be right.

"Bishopthorpe has always been the traditional route from the airfield, and we have agreed to take all the lorries and we want the people of Bishopthorpe to be aware of this extra traffic."

Four large, rigid lorries will make five round-trips per day from next Monday for 28 days - except Saturdays and Sundays.

On the outward trip to the mine shaft they will transport broken up airstrip, and on the return leg they will carry soil and turf to fill the gap where the Second World War airfield once lay.

The route through Bishopthorpe will be via Appleton Road and Sim Balk Lane and RJB Mining has arranged journey times to avoid the lorries passing each other in the village, and the firm will restrict the speed of them to 20mph in the built-up area.

Once through the village they will use the A64 and the A19 to get to the mine shaft.

RJB Mining has also sought permission from the City of York Council to carry out the rubble movement and the company has apologised to villagers for any inconvenience.