THE father of tragic accident victim Jamie Sanders is to tell a Government Minister personally why a flyover must be built at lethal Bilbrough Top.

Roads Minister David Jamieson has agreed to meet Colin Sanders, whose 16-year-old son died in 2001 after being struck by a car at the A64 accident blackspot between York and Tadcaster.

Mr Sanders will hand over letters written by Evening Press readers, and also by key organisations such local authorities and emergency services, calling for the construction of a flyover and closure of a gap in the central reservation.

He will tell the Minister he believes there must be no more delays in beginning construction work to provide a safe crossing over the dual carriageway.

He will say he wants other families to avoid going through the terrible trauma that he and his wife, Chris, have suffered.

The Minister has agreed to meet Mr Sanders and also Selby MP John Grogan next month to hear their arguments for construction of a flyover.

The Evening Press has been campaigning for several years for a gap in the central reservation to be shut, but the Highways Agency has always refused to close it until work starts on the flyover.

The scheme had been due to start in June, finally allowing the gap to shut, but the project was halted at the last minute because the bill came to millions of pounds more than the agency had anticipated.

Two people have died after their vehicles passed through the gap and were struck by vehicles coming along the dual carriageway. Jamie, from Northallerton, died as he was trying to run across the A64 to catch a bus back to York from his job at a garage.

Mr Sanders said: "This has dragged on for far too long. If it needs me to speak to the Minister, I am quite prepared to do it."

Updated: 11:29 Wednesday, September 24, 2003