NORTH Yorkshire villagers are campaigning for safety improvements after seven people lost their lives on a road near their homes in four years.

Residents in Wharram-le-Street are holding a public meeting to air their concerns about the B1248, which passes through the village, and have set up a Facebook page, called Make The B1248 SAFE to push for road safety measures in the village.

In November, mother and son Iwona, 40, and Konrad Batczak, 18, and Rysard Orlowski, 47, all died in an early morning crash as they travelled from Hull to work at the Malton Bacon Factory.

Now the parish council wants to prevent more deaths on the road.

Roger Kay, chairman of Wharram-le-Street Parish Council, said villagers have had concerns about the number of serious and fatal accidents on the B1248 between North Grimston and the Fimber roundabout for several years.

Locals think driving on the B1248 can be so dangerous the stretch of road is like the Isle of Man TT Races, and even though the village has a 40mph speed limit they regularly see cars overtaking at 55mph to 60mph near farm entrances and a busy crossroads, he added.

He said: “Many parishioners have concerns about the standard of driving – overtaking, speeding, and reckless driving – on that stretch of road.

“This is the main arterial road to Hull, and there have been seven fatalities in the last four years.

“We don’t think there is another stretch of road in North Yorkshire, except the A64, with a record as bad,” Mr Kay said.

Ideally, they want a 30mph limit imposed through the village and fixed speed cameras installed.

Mr Kay often hears from walkers who pass through Wharram-le-Street on the Wolds Way who support the calls for better road safety.

“The police are very supportive, but they are limited in their resources and North Yorkshire is a such a massive county they can only spend a few hours here a week,” he said.

The public meeting will take place on January 21 at 7pm in Wharram-le-Street Parish Church.