A DOCTOR who has attended several accidents at the notorious Bilbrough Top claimed today that any further delay in taming the junction would be an insult to the victims.

Dr Andrew Inglis, who lives in Bilbrough village, near the A64 accident blackspot, was speaking of his disbelief, irritation and frustration at news that the proposed flyover had been delayed.

The GP said articulated lorries regularly used the gap in the central reservation, and when doing this to travel towards York, they were at risk of having to stop with their rear wheels in the westbound outside lane.

"I have attended two accidents resulting from precisely this sort of idiotic behaviour, and there has been at least one fatality in a similar accident," he said.

"For any driver, let alone a 'professional' driver, to behave in this way is, to my mind quite extraordinary."

He said that on numerous occasions, he had also witnessed car drivers attempting to negotiate the junction while holding hamburgers and/or mobile phones. But he did not believe driver behaviour could be improved sufficiently to make the junction acceptably safe.

"I work in Tadcaster and so would use the junction every day if I considered it safe to do so. It clearly isn't safe and I never use the junction to cross the A64 in anything other than extremely quiet traffic conditions, such as late at night.

"I think any further delay in starting the proposed alterations would pose an unacceptable risk to all those using the junction, and would be an insult to the families of those who have been killed or injured at the junction."

The Evening Press intends to hand Dr Inglis's letter, along with those of other readers, to Roads Minister David Jamieson next month before a decision is taken on the flyover.

Dr Inglis said: "I would urge him in the strongest possible terms to recognise that leaving the junction as it is for any longer than is absolutely necessary will put lives at risk."

Other readers willing to give their views on Bilbrough Top, both for publication in the paper and for the Minister's attention, should send an email to:

mike.laycock@ycp.co.uk, or write to: Mike Laycock, Evening Press, 76-86 Walmgate, York, Y01 9YN.

Updated: 10:57 Friday, September 12, 2003