A PERMANENT memorial to people killed in road accidents in North Yorkshire could be erected at a cathedral.

The move has been suggested as the county council tries to address the sensitive question of roadside shrines created by grieving relatives and friends at fatal accident scenes.

The council's Richmondshire area committee was asked to point the way forward when it met at West Burton, only two miles from the busy A684 to and from the Dales, where there have been many fatal crashes involving both car drivers and motorcyclists.

A record number of motorcyclists were killed in North Yorkshire last year, and Coun John Blackie, of Hawes, said this had brought the issue of roadside memorials into sharp focus.

Coun Blackie first raised the question earlier this year, when he said that, while he understood the need of grieving relatives to have a roadside marker, some memorials now consisted of motorcyclists' helmets, goggles and plastic flowers. These could be a distraction to drivers in areas where full concentration was needed.

The area committee has now agreed with traffic manager Graham Cressey that flowers, but not permanent memorials, can be placed on verges.

It was agreed that permanent features could distract drivers and constitute a highway obstruction, posing hazards to pedestrians and horse riders.

With a margin of only one vote, however, the committee agreed that no objection should be raised to small permanent memorials which would not distract drivers being placed on roadside fences or stone walls.

It was agreed that local parish councils should first be consulted and that guidance on the size of such memorials should be developed in association with planning authorities.

Mr Cressey added that there was an annual service in Ripon Cathedral for North Yorkshire road accident victims and officers were discussing with Dean of Ripon John Methuen the possibility of a permanent memorial in the cathedral.

He added: "The Dean has been supportive." The area committee agreed that the talks should continue.

Coun Blackie said: "We need a protocol to make clear what will and will not be allowed.

"There cannot be any objection to flowers but clearly there is a problem with permanent memorials on verges because they are distracting.

"This has to be dealt with very sympathetically and what has been put forward is a sympathetic approach.

"There could be a simple plate on a fence or a wall with the agreement of the landowner. There is already one such memorial near Hawes and it is very tasteful."

But Coun Roger Harrison-Topham thought that, while safe driving should be encouraged and he had no objection to roadside flowers, owners of fences or walls could come under unfair pressure.

He said: "One doesn't want to hurt people's feelings, but a lot of us may not be enthusiastic about memorials in any form. It is not a British thing."

A final report will go before the county council executive.