POLITICIANS are pressing for an urgent review of safety measures at the site of what they say is a dangerous railway bridge in Keighley.

Councillors have pledged to contact Bradford Council highways engineers following the latest accident involving a vehicle hitting the bridge over Coney Lane and Park Lane.

A skip wagon overturned in the fourth similar accident in the space of four years at the 13ft 6ins high bridge carrying the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway over the road.

In June 2015 a skip wagon turned over under the bridge, dislodging several large stones from the wall; in January 2014 a lorry got stuck while trying to manoeuvre beneath the bridge; and in November 2013 a lorry delivering stone overturned after its container clipped the bridge.

In 2003 a driver jammed an articulated lorry under the bridge, peeling back the roof of the trailer and ripping away the ‘maximum height’ sign.

There are at least 11 signs on approach roads warning that there is a low bridge, including one 50 yards along Parkwood Street and others at the junctions with East Parade, Longcroft and Parkwood Rise.

Councillor Zafar Ali (Con, Keighley Central) said he had been “deeply disturbed” to hear about the latest crash.

He said: “There are too many accidents. I’ll have a chat with highways to see how we can avoid future incidents.”

Councillor Khadim Hussain (Lab, Keighley Central) said he would ask Council highways officers to look at how the presence of the bridge could be made clearer to approaching lorry drivers.

He said: “There’s nothing else that can be done – we need better signage further ahead to warn of the low bridge, from both sides entering the area.

"Some drivers may not be aware of the area.”

Fellow Keighley Central Councillor Abid Hussain, who is the Lord Mayor of Bradford, suggested metal barriers on the pavement near the bridge to protect pedestrians in case of future accidents.

He said: “We need to protect people who walk across the bridge, especially children.

"Drivers have to be very careful on this bridge – they need to know it’s a serious issue.”

Matt Stroh, chairman of the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, said that after every accident his staff had to carry out safety inspections of the bridge with Bradford Council experts before services could be restarted.

He said “It’s frustrating having to stop services – it distracts staff and volunteers from and disrupt passengers.

“We’ve been fortunate so far – the damage hasn’t affected us yet but it’s only a matter of time.

"Vehicles are travelling at quite low speeds, they seem to topple over.”