RED faces were on the books when a new mobile library vehicle failed to climb a steep fellside road in Swaledale.

Readers in the tiny hamlet of West Stonesdale, above Keld, were unable to change their books after a hairpin bend proved too much for the van's steering lock. The vehicle is also lower slung than the previous van which, until last week, made the three-weekly run, and it grounded on the steep bank.

Peter Atkinson, of Keld, said: "The old vehicle was a tight fit but it managed to get up to West Stonesdale even when it was quite icy. Last Wednesday, the new vehicle turned up for the first time and it just hadn't got the steering lock to get round the corner. It is very steep and a hairpin going up there and many vehicles get stuck.

"The driver had a real struggle and she did very well to reverse back down to Keld."

A spokesman for North Yorkshire County Council apologised, but pledged their mobile library service would continue.

The new vehicle was the same size as the old one but, until last week's trip, officers did not know that the new model had a larger turning circle.

"We ordered exactly the same vehicle, basically like-for-like, but the manufacturer has obviously made some changes and we only discovered that when it went out on this run for the first time," he said. "We apologise to the people in West Stonesdale, who are very supportive customers of the mobile library, but the problem was totally unforeseen.

"Their service will be maintained and we are looking at ways to do this. We may bring in one of the older vehicles which has been on that route previously."