A safety watchdog has voiced concern at the growing number of accidents in Bingley.

Latest figures reveal an increase of 11 per cent in road accidents in the town, with a similar rise in the number of people injured as a result.

A report to Bingley Road Safety Committee showed that there had been 143 reported accidents in the town in 1997 compared to only 128 the previous year.

These resulted in 225 casualties, up from 203 in 1996.

Chairman John Yeadon said he was at a loss to explain the increase in accidents as the committee had made great efforts to improve safety awareness in Bingley.

"We were disappointed to receive this information because we were trying to get a reduction in the figures from one year to the next," he said.

"It is hard to pinpoint exactly why the figures have increased. I think it is a combination of different factors."

There was, however, a glimmer of hope in the figures.

While the number of accidents reported in the fourth quarter of 1997 had also gone up, from 37 to 39, there had been a decrease in the number of casualties in the same period from 57 to 48.

At the same meeting, the road safety committee put on ice any decision to launch an alternative to the middle schools quiz which it has organised in the past.

Mr Yeadon said: "It was felt that there was so much turmoil over the future of middle schools - because of the education review currently taking place - that the schools would not have the time this year."

He said alternative ways of getting across the road safety message other than a quiz had been considered.

But it had been agreed to delay organising anything until issues over the schools review had been made clearer.

The road safety committee's next meeting will be held at Bingley Town Hall on Thursday, May 7.

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