Vital repair work to one of the most dangerous railway bridges in the region is finally set to get under way - seven years after safety concerns were first raised.

The decaying bridge barrier at Dalton-on-Tees, near Darlington, has been the scene of at least two serious accidents when vehicles have ploughed into the flimsy wooden fencing design to shield drivers from the railway line.

It was earmarked as the top priority for repairs by council chiefs in January, but work being carried out on the site by Northern Electric had set the project back even further.

However, North Yorkshire County Council has now announced that preliminary work to move electricity poles will take place from Monday to Friday next week.

And it is also hoped that a £20,000 project to strengthen the crumbling barrier can be fully started next month.

Brian Jones, of the authority's environmental services department, said: "Tenders are being assessed at the moment. I would think the work will start in mid-June and last for about a month."

The bridge on West Lane has long been a source of concern for people in the nearby village of Dalton-on-Tees.

Last May, a pick-up truck crashed into the fencing only yards from the railway line in an incident which could have led to a disaster on the same scale as the Selby tragedy.

And in February, angry villagers told how they had brought the state of the bridge to the attention of the authorities seven years ago - only to be told it would be too costly to make repairs.

Meanwhile, a leading rail industry body is set to publish a major report highlighting further incidents where vehicles have crashed through bridge barriers. Railway Safety will produce its annual performance report early next month.

Earlier this year the organisation supplied The Northern Echo with statistics showing that, in the 12 months since the Selby train crash, 42 vehicles had ploughed through barriers, with 27 ending up on the tracks.