STREET lighting officers have rejected a coroner's call for lights at the spot where a 12-year-old Addingham schoolgirl died in a horrific accident.

According to statistics published by Bradford Council, Amy Howard, who died in December, was the only child to be killed on the district's roads last year.

At the Skipton Girls' High School pupil's inquest last month, Bradford Coroner Roger Whittaker urged the council to provide better lighting in the area of the A65 bus stop where she had got off the bus from school in the dark Amy was hit when she had almost reached the other side of the road as she crossed to her home in Crossbank Road, on the Skipton side of Silsden roundabout.

Mr Whittaker's office has since contacted City Hall with his recommendations. But Allun Preece, Bradford Council's principal engineer for street lighting, this week ruled out any additional lighting in the area.

He said: "This was a tragic accident and our sympathies go to the family. The Addingham-Wharfedale road is classified as a rural road, and as such, it would be unusual for it to be lit throughout. There is lighting at the roundabout and the major junction with the Main Street in Addingham.

"At the moment there are no plans to introduce any more lights on this stretch of road."

But a spokesman for the highways department said they would look again at the coroner's letter. The spokesman said: "We have received a letter from the coroner with a number of recommendations for this stretch of road. We will look at this letter in detail and see if anything can be done in this location."

The coroner had also recommended that schoolchildren be issued with reflective belts which can be picked out over dark uniforms by car headlights.

Jonathan White, who represents Addingham on the Ilkley and District Road Safety Committee, is convinced that better lighting is needed at the scene.

Mr White said: "I was concerned it was the dark side of the bypass - there was no lighting at all. There are buses stopping and picking up passengers at that very point.

"I certainly have discussed it at road safety and highlighted the problem. I made contact with highways and was told there was no actual money within the system to cater for that expense.

"One of the problems is connection to the electricity system which would add to the expense. I got the impression we were really up against a fairly difficult situation and we should keep on asking and just hope and pray - but that does not seem good enough.

"There can't be anyone in the village who does not support that idea."

According to figures produced by Bradford Council there was only one death and 38 serious injuries on the district's roads in 2006 involving children aged up to 15.

Bradford Council chiefs and road safety bodies say 86 different initiatives are in place to reduce the number of road deaths across the area.

An emphasis is being placed on social responsibility and engagement, roads policing enforcement and looking at ways to make young drivers more responsible.

Police said a woman was due to appear in court next month in connection with the accident in which Amy Howard died.