CALLS are being made for improvements on a notoriously steep hill after new figures revealed it tops a league table of crash sites.

Local people have been campaigning for years to relieve traffic problems on Sutton Bank, near Thirsk, particularly involving heavy goods vehicles and lorries but have been told they cannot be banned because the A170 is a main primary route.

Now it’s been revealed Sutton Bank and Sutton-under-Whitestonecliffe is the worst "cluster site" for crashes in Hambleton and one of the worst in North Yorkshire.

Between 2014 and 2016 there were ten crashes in the area, with up to 22 casualties including six children. The figures were revealed at the county council’s Hambleton area committee.

Parish council chairman Cllr Caroline Artingstoll said over the past few weeks there had been increasing concern as heavy snow and ice caused many vehicles to turn round and come back down the bank creating chaos.

”These figures are so much higher than anywhere else. Are we any closer to doing something about Sutton Bank, because this is a continuing problem?” she asked highway officers.

Area highways manager Nigel Smith said: "Sutton Bank is a challenge because of its topography. There will always be problems. We try and educate drivers through messages, particularly those that shouldn’t be using the bank such as larger vehicles and caravans.

"We do liaise closely with the police, it is a fine line. There are vehicle activated signs encouraging drivers to use the appropriate gears so they don’t get stuck in the first place.”

New moves to put up vehicle management signs on roads leading towards the bank warning of problems are currently being considered.