GARY Hart will be tormented by the constant reminder of the Selby tragedy for the rest of his life. But so, too, will the families of the ten people killed as a consequence of his actions.

We understand the anger that, while the prison sentence reflects Hart's dangerous driving on that fateful morning last February, it does not fully take into account the horrific loss of life his dangerous driving caused.

However, the biggest scandal to emerge yesterday was not the length of time Hart will spend behind bars, but the fact that improvements on hazardous bridges over railway lines have not been carried out.

An investigation carried out by The Northern Echo, following the Selby tragedy, identified other bridges where it was possible for vehicles to fall on to tracks.

But few repairs have been completed because of confusion over who foots the bill - Railtrack or the local highways authorities.

That such petty bureaucratic squabbles are taking precedence over the safety of the travelling public amounts to wilful negligence.

As Secretary of State with ultimate responsibility for both public transport and local authorities, Stephen Byers is perfectly placed to sort out this mess.

It is within his power to either release the funds to allow local authorities to carry out the repairs, or order Railtrack to do the necessary work.

We urge him to take the appropriate action without further delay, before any more lives are put at risk.