NEW figures have revealed road deaths across Hambleton and Richmondshire increased by more than 50 per cent last year with eleven people killed - as fatalities fell in most other areas of North Yorkshire.

The news comes as national charity Think warn country roads are the deadliest with up to 60 per cent of all deaths happening in rural areas. The charity has now launched a new campaign to reduce fatalities.

Across North Yorkshire deaths on the roads reduced from 51 in 2013 which was the highest for some years, to 40 last year. While some districts saw dramatic reductions, and the numbers of motorcyclists killed went down, in Hambleton deaths went up from five to seven and in Richmondshire from two to four.

Craven District, which covers large areas of the Yorkshire Dales, also increased from seven fatalities in 2013 to nine last year.

But road safety experts say the increases have to be seen against a downward trend, except for cyclists which has seen a gradual increase.

The numbers of serious casualties was also down across the county from 425 in 2013 to 391 last year, with a slight rise in Hambleton to 60 and a slight reduction in Richmondshire to 49.

No children were killed.

Cllr Don MacKenzie, executive member for road safety, said: "Every single death is one too many, we are always targeting lower fatalities and accident rates, and we have achieved that county wide, unfortunately not in Hambleton and Richmondshire last year.

"We are a large county with a lot of country roads which can encourage people to speed."

A spokesman for the road safety team, who released the figures in their annual report, said they look at longer term trends over three, five and ten years which provide an overall picture and compare the county against other areas.

He added: "These currently show us graded fourth against 16 similar English authorities and seventh out of 17 UK authorities. The overall trend in terms of road deaths in North Yorkshire is still downward, more so than nationally, even though there was an increase in Hambleton and Richmondshire and in Craven during 2014.

“The one road user group that has seen a gradual rise over the past few years, which is continuing, is for cyclist casualties. This may not be surprising given the growth in cycling with the Tour de France and Tour de Yorkshire.

"Nonetheless we have undertaken a more detailed analysis of this and we are working with cycling organisations, district and parish councils, and the 95 Alive Partnership to promote safer cycling and to reduce cyclist crashes and casualties on our popular but challenging rural roads.”