Campaigners have won their fight to stop roadworks from shutting down a main road into a village.

For years, people living in the Melmerby area, near Ripon, have been calling for a new surface on Green Lane, which leads into the village from the A61 Ripon to Thirsk road.

But they were angered when North Yorkshire County Council highways department said repairs would mean the road would have to close, resulting in long detours for motorists travelling from Ripon.

Melmerby parish councillor Keith Blythe said: "There is no doubt about it that the road needed repairing. But closing 600 yards of it while the repairs were being carried out would have caused all sorts of problems."

Traffic lights will now operate during the repairs which were due to start this month but have now been delayed until early next month.