A FATHER has called for tougher sentences after his daughter was "left for dead" by a 17-year-old Skipton motorist.

Richard Lord, landlord at The Gamecock at Austwick, told the Herald how the youth, who cannot be named under the law, had walked away from Skipton Youth Court with 80 hours' community service and was disqualified from driving for a year after being found guilty of dangerous driving and failing to stop after an accident.

Mr Lord said his 17-year-old daughter Enefhia Evans, a hairdressing student at Craven College, had been involved in the accident on November 14 last year, at Feizor.

He said her boyfriend, 20-year-old Christopher Jackson, of New Village, Ingleton, had been driving his Peugeot 306 at around 5pm, when there was a collision with a van coming the opposite way - allegedly on the wrong side of the road.

Mr Lord said: "The other driver was overtaking, going round a corner and hit my daughter and her boyfriend head on.

"Their car was smashed into and put into a ditch and Enefhia was left trapped in the car for over an hour."

He added that instead of stopping after the crash and reporting the accident, the other driver had driven off from the scene leaving his daughter and her boyfriend to fend for themselves.

Mr Lord said: "When it went to court on April 30, the offence of failing to report the accident was withdrawn.

"There was then the 80 hours' community service and a year's ban for the dangerous driving and failing to stop offences and £70 court costs.

"This is absolutely ridiculous. My daughter was left for dead. They could have both been killed!"

He added: "My daughter was in complete shock after the accident, had to be cut out of the car and suffered whiplash afterwards. She had to be taken to hospital and stayed overnight. She's still suffering from a bad back now.

"Christopher also suffered whiplash and has a bad back now. He trapped his foot under the accelerator pedal but thankfully got out okay."

Mr Lord said: "I just think it's absolutely criminal.

"How can someone do that and then just get 80 hours' community service - it's outrageous, especially after seeing the state of the car after the crash!"

He added that the driver should have been more heavily fined and disqualified for longer.

He said: "Anyone who's ever had their daughter in such a situation, would understand where I'm coming from. It's just a farce! There should be a lot tougher sentences!"