A MAN whose son was almost hit by a van on a notorious road has welcomed plans to improve the highway.

Roads bosses have outlined safety plans for the A64 through Sherburn, after Gordon Mallon collected more than 300 signatures from concerned villagers.

Villagers say the main problem is with lorries and other large vehicles parking on the pavement to unload goods to businesses in the village.

A number of safety improvements have been proposed and they will go before members of North Yorkshire County Council's Ryedale Area Committee next week.

These include creating a loading bay for vehicles to stop them parking on the pavement.

Another suggestion is lowering the number of lorries travelling through the village to the nearby Wards factory, by creating a means by which goods can be delivered by rail instead.

Mr Mallon says his four-year-old son, Jordan, could have been killed last year when a reversing van nearly hit him.

"I hope that the safety proposals are taken up by the area committee and that they work," said Mr Mallon.

"There is a great deal of support in the village for something to be done."