A MOTORIST drove into a road sign in Skipton High Street causing a potentially dangerous oil spill, heard magistrates.

Care worker, Cora Jane Staveley, 22, drove off after hitting the sign close to Natwest Bank in her Audi A3 in the early hours, heard Skipton Magistrates Court.

An emergency call out had to be made to North Yorkshire highways at 6am on March 19 to clean up a trail of oil from the collision site to the High Street. The cost of making the road safe and clearing up the oil from the road was £389 while cost of a new sign was put at between £250 and £300, the court heard on Friday.

Staveley, a community care worker of previous good character, had not told the police about the collision but she had let her insurance company know, the court was told.

In mitigation, Mohammed Hussain, said Staveley had not realised she needed to inform the police as there had been no injury.

He said she was genuinely contrite, had never been in an accident before, needed her car for her work and had found coming to court very upsetting.

Staveley had been on her way to see her boyfriend after finishing work late and had apparently hit the sign in the High Street after taking the corner too fast, said Mr Hussain.

Staveley, of Newby, Clapham, admitted failing to report an accident and driving without due care and attention.

She also admitted using a motor vehicle when it was in a condition likely to cause danger of injury, by having a large traffic sign obscuring the windscreen and having engine oil leaking from the car.

An additional charge of failing to stop after a road accident was withdrawn by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Magistrates endorsed Staveley's driving licence with seven penalty points. She was also fined £346 and ordered to pay a surcharge of £35 and costs of £85.