Two vehicles were involved in a collision on the A1 southbound at Berwick on Sunday morning. Emergency services arrived at the scene after the crash was reported at about 10.30am, and no serious injuries were reported. The road was closed while the vehicles were recovered, and it reopened by noon.
Campaign to dual the A1 picks up support
The incident comes after six people were killed on the A1 in Northumberland in the space of a month. A campaign calling for the road to be dualled was launched last month, and a petition set up alongside it has now gathered more than 2,900 signatures.
The change.org petition says the A1 in Northumberland has "an appalling safety record that has resulted in six tragic fatalities in just a few weeks". It adds that the mix of single and double-carriageway stretches is a major factor in the high level of accidents, which has a terrible human toll and is holding back the area's economy as Northumberland looks to grow its tourism, renewable energy and digital sectors.
Government decisions under scrutiny
The campaign has brought together a coalition of political, business and community leaders to support the call for dualling. The petition appeals to the Government to "urgently re-examine the case for dualling the A1 in Northumberland", describing the issue as long-standing but made more urgent by recent tragedies.
A previous government had pledged to dual most of the single-carriageway sections but did not start any scheme. The current government scrapped the project shortly after the 2024 general election, saying it was not good value for money.
