A public meeting about an A64 accident blackspot has been cancelled after being "snubbed" by the Highways Agency.

The decision comes after yet another accident at Bilbrough Top, between York and Tadcaster - the fifth since the beginning of the year.

Up to 200 people had originally been expected to attend the community meeting, planned for this Friday evening at Askham Bryan College's conference facility.

Organiser Brian Percival said he had abandoned it after receiving a letter from the agency's area manager Peter Moffat, saying it was unable to attend.

Mr Percival, a Selby district councillor, said there was no point in going ahead if the agency would not be present to hear the public's views.

He claimed there was a lack of urgency to tackle safety problems on the A64 and also local back roads.

"The agencies are full of platitudes and promises of future action, future safety audits and future flyovers, but accidents are happening now in ever increasing numbers."

He claimed the Highways Agency had been notified of the meeting on December 12. "I am absolutely livid. The local community has been snubbed."

Sam Esler, chairman of Bilbrough Parish Council, said: "I find it terribly disappointing that they have not been able to put themselves out, particularly at such a crucial moment."

An agency spokeswoman said officers were unable to attend because of prior commitments, but had been willing to come to a pre-meeting.

Mr Moffat apologised in his letter, and said he had attended several such meetings in recent months to explain the agency's proposals and listen to the public's views. And he said he would be pleased to attend if it could be re-arranged to a later date.

The latest accident at Bilbrough Top happened on Friday, when a van overturned after the driver, from London, apparently fell asleep at the wheel, said police.

The man was taken to York District Hospital with an injured shoulder.

According to police records, there were also three accidents involving vehicles trying to get through a gap in the central reservation on January 7, January 12 and January 18.

In another accident on January 9, a teenage pedestrian suffered fatal injuries after being struck while trying to cross the road.

The Evening Press and thisisyork have been campaigning for the Bilbrough Top gap to be closed on safety grounds, but the agency has refused to do so until a flyover has been built in the area.

Mr Percival said that until the flyover is completed, the local community wanted safety measures such as a 50 mph speed limit and better driving skills, properly enforced by police.

Updated: 08:25 Tuesday, January 23, 2001