Archive news footage from the North East that has recently been unearthed shows a local councillor claiming how safe a road is moments before three cars crash behind him.

News service ITN shared the clip from their archive to their Twitter page of safety barriers being installed between the north and southbound carriageways of the A19 in 1988 after the stretch of road near Peterlee had been labelled the 'most dangerous in Britain'.

It may be unthinkable to see a dual carriageway without a safety barrier down the central reservation today, however the fact that one was being installed on a four-and-a-half mile stretch of the A19 south of Peterlee in 1988 was noteworthy enough to attract news cameras.

The journalist in the piece describes the stretch of road as 'notorious' for safety, however a local councillor - a Mr Davidson - tries to allay concerns moments before disaster.

"I will not accept that it's a highly dangerous road," he says, "like other roads it gives cause for concern when accidents do occur."

The clip then shows a sky blue Lada Riva estate car slamming on its brakes - only avoiding hitting the car in front by leaving the road - as Mr Davidson talks about the road's safety.

Davidson looks to the camera and rolls his eyes, acknowledging the irony, before another two cars slam on their brakes and a third hits the car in the middle.

One comment praised the often-maligned Lada for its handling: "Love the fact that the handling of the Lada was so poor, the heavy braking on the front wheels saved it."

Watch the footage below.