Villagers will decide this weekend whether to keep their controversial "Death Hill" sign on the A19.

Road safety campaigners in Thormanby, near Easingwold, put up their 'coffin' warning sign to alert motorists to the accident blackspot, the scene of four fatal crashes since 1997 and a string of other serious accidents.

Hambleton District Council's planning committee told villagers to take the illegal sign down within a fortnight at its meeting a week ago.

A parish assembly meeting was held last night to discuss the sign and to discuss the widespread support for a bypass around the village.

Coun Peter Sowray, whose Hambleton ward covers the village, was at the meeting and said he thought it would be inappropriate to prosecute anyone.

"The people of Thormanby realise the sign is going to have to go down some time. They're not quite ready to bring it down yet. They still feel they're making a point.

"The council doesn't want to prosecute anybody but they have a duty and people can't be allowed to put up signs.

"We are very sympathetic and we want the county council to try and persuade the Highways Agency to put up an official sign to replace the illegal one.

In the long term he said they wanted the county council to include a bypass in its planned road improvement schemes, for which it has to apply for Government cash.

Coun Sowray said: "The villagers are going to make a decision over the weekend about the sign."

Updated: 11:16 Friday, April 27, 2001