CAMPAIGNERS have been celebrating news that the Government is to invest more than £1m in a project to improve safety at an accident blackspot that has already claimed a number of lives.

Rainton crossroads lies just south of the A1/A61 interchange, between Thirsk and Ripon, in North Yorkshire.

Drivers travelling in and out of the west side of the village have to dice with danger on a busy dual carriageway, at a point where motorists on the northbound side of the A1 do not expect to have vehicles crossing their path.

The A1(M) ends less than a mile further south, while a service area is situated just a few hundreds yards from the junction.

Vale of York MP Anne McIntosh was among those pressing Westminster for action and, on Wednesday, Transport Secretary Alistair Darling confirmed that Rainton is included in a multi-million pound road improvement package to be rolled out across the UK.

A bridge across both carriageways of the A1 has been put forward as the solution to the problems at Rainton.

However, as the crossroads lie on a stretch of the A1 already earmarked for an upgrade to motorway standard, the structure will be a temporary one, controlled by traffic lights.

Yesterday, Ms McIntosh said she was pleased with the news and paid tribute to the Rainton community for its perseverance.

"However, I want to make sure there is also a permanent solution and I have written to Mr Darling, requesting information about what the Government plans to do in future," she said