DOZENS of child car seats were crushed yesterdayt to highlight the dangers of using old seats.

Road safety officers in North Yorkshire have launched a campaign to push the fact that old, second hand or damaged seats can be potentially fatal.

One of the seats crushed by a large compactor at the West Tanfield landfill site, near Thirsk, had previously been fitted in a car driven by Caroline Everitt, who was involved in a crash last November.

She and her two-year-old son David watched as the seat he was in at the time of the smash was pulverised.

"I was advised by road safety officers and the manufacturers of the seat that I should no longer use the seat because I couldn't be sure that it would still provide the correct level of protection for David," said Mrs Everitt.

"I didn't want to take the risk of using the seat again and I am glad that it has now been destroyed."

Road safety officer Sheelagh Phillips said: "People should not use a second-hand child seat they do not know the history of, and which may not come with the correct fitting instructions.

"We, along with the seat manufacturers, also advise that if a seat has been involved in an accident, or is old and no longer wanted, then they should be taken to any of Yorwaste's sites across North Yorkshire, where they will be destroyed."

Yorwaste's head of operations Kevin Quigley added: "Any seats brought into our sites are immediately destroyed to ensure they cannot be used again. We are delighted to support the campaign."