PLANS to bring down the speed limit on a major route into York have been thrown out - even though the road claimed another victim hours before county councillors made the decision.

North Yorkshire Police and City of York Council both objected to the proposals which would have seen the introduction of a 50mph limit on the A59 between the A1(M) and York.

A 37-year-old Harrogate man, Thomas Joseph Collins, of Harlow Terrace, died yesterday in an accident only two miles from the disputed stretch of road.

Harrogate councillor Chris Lewis said the driver's death strengthened the case for lowering the speed limit along the A59.

She said: "This poor man's death highlights how dangerous the A59 really is."

A police spokesman said they did not believe that lowering the speed limit would make the road safer. "The majority of accidents on the A59 are junction-related, so lowering the limit would have little impact on the number of accidents," he said.

"Also, the character and environment of the road lend themselves to a 60mph limit, and a 50mph limit would be unrealistic, widely abused and would require a great deal of police enforcement."

A spokesman for City of York Council said a change of limit at the city boundary would appear to motorists to be arbitrary and serve little purpose. He said that junction improvements should be considered first. North Yorkshire County Council area traffic officer John Lee said reducing the limit would be out of step with other rural roads in the county, especially the adjacent section of the A59 within the City of York.

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