A MOTORIST has denied driving through a red light at a level crossing.

James Brian Mark, of Blea Beck in Askam, is due to stand trial charged with failing to comply with a traffic sign.

The 65-year-old is accused of failing to obey the level crossing warning lights as the barriers were lowering on May 3 of this year.

He has also been charged with failing to confirm the identification of the driver at the time of the alleged offence.

Mark is due to stand trial at South Cumbria Magistrates' Court on Friday.

The level crossing at Askam was said to be the ninth worst in the country for traffic offences according to British Transport Police statistics published in 2015.

There are more than 7,000 level crossings across the UK's railway network.

Automatic level crossing lights: the law

Amber lights will initially be seen along with audible warning sound, followed by flashing red lights. These are to warn a train is approaching and that the level crossing barriers will come down.

Upon seeing either the amber or red flashing lights you must stop. Although the red lights will flash all the time that the barriers are down, the audible warning may stop.

If another train is approaching, the barriers will remain down and the red lights will continue to flash. If there is an audible warning, the sound will change.