THE driver of a road sweeper which collided with a camper van near Threshfield has been cleared of careless driving.

The much heavier road sweeper hit the camper van side on, pushing it backwards into a tree and causing substantial damage, Skipton magistrates heard on Monday..

Road sweeper driver Stephen Pollard, 60, denied careless driving, claiming he had been driving the left-hand drive vehicle at about 35mph around a bend on the B6160 close to Long Ashes Caravan Park.

He told the court as he came around the bend, just before midday on August 29, he was faced with a camper van which was in the middle of the road, passing a pedestrian.

He said he braked, but the road sweeper hit the motor home, pushing it back and somehow avoiding the pedestrian.

Pollard, of Dunoon Drive, Blackburn, an HGV driver of more than 20 years with a clean licence, added he was on his way to Skipton, was in no hurry and planned to stop off to 'have a brew' in a layby.

Camper van driver John Hardstaff said he was on his way to Long Ashes with his wife for a week's holiday. He said he had slowed to a walking pace because of the pedestrian and because of a bend ahead.

He added there was also no need to overtake the walker, because there was a driveway a short distance ahead which he believed the pedestrian would aim for.

There was nothing he could do to avoid a collision, he told the court.

"I had slowed almost to a walking pace behind the pedestrian, when around the bend coming towards me was a road sweeper.

"The vehicle was beginning to drift into my side of the road. I was afraid it was going to be faced with a head-on collision. I pulled my vehicle as far into the left as I could. The road sweeper drifted over, side-swiping my motor home. His driver's mirror smashed the windscreen in front of my face and continued to impact my vehicle, midships, ripping it open."

Magistrates, who expressed regret that there had not been a statement from the pedestrian, said they were left with one person's word against another. Although there had clearly been an accident, they could not be sure without reasonable doubt who was at fault and found Pollard not guilty.