RESIDENTS living near a line of pylons say that a main road has been damaged by construction traffic working on the project.

Work to put up the power line, which runs through Lackenby, Picton and Shipton, was completed a month ago.

But people living in Kirby Sigston, near Northallerton, said the main road, which links them to the A19 and Northallerton, has been damaged by the work.

Negotiations are ongoing between North Yorkshire County Council's Highways Department and National Grid, which has agreed to pay for any damage caused.

But residents said repair work cannot come soon enough.

Edgar Chapman, who farms at Manor Farm, in Kirby Sigston, said the road was becoming increasingly dangerous.

"They have pushed all the verges into the gutters when the heavy lorries were meeting down what is a very narrow road," he said.

"The water now has to run down the road and it is making it very icy on these cold winter mornings and nights.

"It is getting very dangerous for what is a busy road which links to the A19."

The Highways Department could not confirm how soon the repair work would be done, saying not all the damage was down to National Grid.

Mike Roberts, divisional engineer in the Highway Department, said: "It was agreed that any damage that could be attributed to National Grid would be fixed and charged to them.

"At the moment, we are in discussions with National Grid as to what damage has been done by them.

"There is damage that has nothing to do with National Grid. As many country lanes are, they weren't in perfect condition before they arrived."

A spokesman for National Grid said: "We carried out extensive repairs prior to starting construction of the new over head transmission line to ensure that the roads were in good condition.

"In addition, we gave assurances that damage caused by our construction traffic would be repaired.

"Discussions are currently ongoing with the North Yorkshire Highways Department."