The matter was raised at Inveresk Community Council's meeting on Monday night by local farmer Colin Gibson, the same man who had brought the issue to light almost exactly a year ago.

The sign is placed just beyond the last turn off before the exit for both Stracathro hospital and services and, although police figures do not show many accidents at the junction, Mr Gibson, who owns the field beside the junction, says that the figures are not accurate and he has witnessed a number of accidents which go unreported, with it being only a matter of time before one of the accidents brings a tragic result.

He told the meeting: "It has been a year almost to the day since I came to Inveresk Community Council to seek help.

"I believe that Nicol Stephen and Doug Lawrie had a meeting with BEAR, who said that something would be done about it, but nothing has been done and it is going to result in an innocent party being killed.

"The police are saying that the statistics don't give us enough for anything to be done, but the statistics are misleading.

"I was ploughing my field over the weekend and, when I stood and watched for two hours on Friday morning, five cars came off the road, and had the gate not been open it could have been a lot worse.

"The day before that a new car was written off, and the week before that another new car had also been written off, so how long is it before someone is killed? Even if you are just waiting to cross the carriageway there and someone thinks it's the way to Stracathro they could plough into you.

"Cars are also damaging my fence and people say that I get it all back off insurance, but they are forgetting the £250 excess that I have to pay, plus it is £600 per time when it's the gates and that has happened three times this year.

"People are doing 70 miles per hour down the dual carriageway, and many see the sign and just come off. If you just see the sign at that speed what would you do?"

After Mr Gibson's previous concerns were passed on, the arrow pointing left for Stracathro Services was removed from the sign, but Inveresk Community Council chairperson Charlie Simpson agreed with Mr Gibson's assessment that it had not gone far enough, saying: "A year ago we spoke to John Swinney about the problem and the arrow which pointed left was removed.

"In a way it is also driver error as the sign clearly says Stracathro is ahead, so accidents could be put down to either driver error or a faulty SAT-NAV system telling them to turn left.

"The turn left arrow was removed this time but I am suggesting total removal of the sign would be a better option.

"If this is not done then someone could be killed. We need to tell John Swinney and BEAR that it is not safe. The other thing is that people are not reporting it when they crash. They just get the car out and go, which distorts the statistics."

Mr Simpson was confident though, that the concerns raised would not fall on deaf ears and that, although the community council could not have the final say in the matter, its members voices would be listened to on this issue.

"We can't make the decision, it has to be BEAR and the Scottish government," he explained. "We can suggest that it is a dire situation though, as last time they looked favourably and I think they will again this time."