A QUAD bike rider is being employed to control traffic during improvement work at a notorious accident blackspot.

Traffic lights and an extra lane are being installed on the Whitebirk roundabout, at junction six of the M65, as part of a £2million-plus safety scheme.

In the meantime a 'quad bike convoy' is helping ease the holdups.

The bike, equipped with a 'no overtaking' sign, crawls around the roundabout allowing spaces to form for cars to get off the M65 slip road and limiting dangerous tailbacks.

Lancashire County Council, carrying out the work, says the 13-week project is on track and the jams being caused are not as bad as feared.

Although a quad bike is a recognised tool to manage,traffic the council said that it is "very rare" it is used.

Chris Cosgrove, who works for Hyndburn contractor Kay's Traffic Management, drives the vehicle along with two colleagues, spending hours on end motoring around the roundabout.

County council highways engineer Phill Wilson said: "The work is currently running on schedule and, considering the complexity of the job at such a busy junction, the delays to traffic have been far less severe than drivers may have expected.

"The innovative use of a quad bike convoy vehicle has ensured that excessive queues do not form on the slip roads."

The work means the roundabout, Lancashire's worst accident hotspot, is being reduced to one lane between 9.30am and 3.30pm.

It is during those hours that the quad bike is used to regulate the traffic.

Mr Wilson said resurfacing work would be carried out during overnight road closures to minimise disruption.

The next closures, when the main roundabout and slip roads will be resurfaced, will take place next month. Diversions will be in place.

A Highways Agency spokesman said the roadworks had caused "no huge problems" on the motorway.

He added: "There has been queuing on the exit slip at busy times but it is a long slip and this hasn't impacted on the motorway carriageway itself."

The roadworks are set to finish in early January.