TRIBUTES have been paid to a taxi driver who was reported missing before being found dead at an accident black spot.

Police said experienced Thirsk cabbie Pete Maltby was found in his Ford C-Max yards from the junction for Ingleby Cross on the A172 on Sunday.

The 59-year-old had been missing since setting off for work from his home in East Road, Northallerton on Saturday and had last been seen at 9.30pm driving north on the A19, near Osmotherley.

Police said Mr Maltby's car had left the road before stopping by a ditch and the cause of the accident remained unknown.

They said it did not appear there were any other vehicles involved in the incident and one line of inquiry was that it had not been due to driver error.

Numerous floral tributes have been laid at the crash site and colleagues on the Thirsk rank said they had been devastated by the loss of a respected friend and colleague.

A neighbour of Mr Maltby, who it is understood had been a taxi driver in Thirsk for about 25 years, described him as "a wonderful man".

The fatal collision follows several serious accidents on the same stretch of road this year, including a crash involving a minibus and a car at the crossroads in March, in which six people were injured.

In January, a motorist died after his car overturned on the A172 slip road near the A19.

Ingleby Cross residents said while the straight stretch of the A172 had been the site of dozens of accidents over decades, concerns were mounting over the number of recent collisions.

Classic car enthusiast Alan O'Connor said some drivers were not following the Highway Code or adapting to differing driving conditions.

He said he had been forced up on to the verge of the A172 when a wagon suddenly appeared behind him.

Mr O'Connor added: "There is speeding traffic, but it's not that that's causing a lot of the problems."

Councillor Tim Swales, of nearby Osmotherley, said there was no easy answer to improving the road's safety record, but improved driving education would pay dividends.

Cllr Swales, who is campaigning for improved road safety as chairman of North Yorkshire County Council, said: "Introducing 40mph on all country roads isn't the answer because then impatient people take more risks."

Police are appealing to anyone who saw Mr Maltby's silver Ford C-Max on the A172 between Stokesley and Ingleby Cross between 9.35pm on Saturday (September 6) and 3am on Sunday (September 7), to call 101 or email katie.shaw@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk