THOSE killed on the roads of North Yorkshire will be remembered at a special service at Ripon Cathedral next weekend.

Emergency services and clergy are joining forces to pay tribute to accident victims at the annual Oakleaf service on Sunday, at 3pm.

The event is held each year on the United Nation’s World Day of Remembrance for Road Victims and includes a mixture of words and music, prayer and silence.

Between January and the end of August this year, 301 people have been killed or seriously injured on North Yorkshire’s roads. The toll of the dead and seriously injured includes 16 children.

Their families and friends have been invited to take part in the service, during which the names of those who have died will be inscribed on paper oak leaves and placed at the altar.

The chaplain to the county’s police force, the Reverend Simon Rudkin, said: “The service provides an opportunity for the emergency services and those concerned with road safety to share with relatives the emotional toll suffered by all those involved.

“As their memorial to those who have died, North Yorkshire Police and its partners are working to reduce significantly serious road collisions.”

The service will be conducted by the Dean of Ripon, the Very Reverend Keith Jukes, who said: “The fact that so many people lose their lives each year is a poignant reminder of the responsibility that each of us has for road safety.

“I pay tribute once again to the police and to the emergency services for the way that they support and help victims and families, not only at the time of the accident but also in the weeks and months beyond.”