A CORONER today raised serious concerns over the layout of two stretches of the A66 in County Durham where three people died in a week.

Inquests were held in Crook into the deaths of elderly couple Kenneth and Maida (CORR) McCurdy and motorcyclist Charles Rayner, in separate accidents in April.

Mr and Mrs McCurdy died after their car made an apparent U-turn on the eastbound side of the A66, near Bowes, on April 1, colliding with another vehicle heading westbound.

The couple, aged 78 and 71 respectively, from South Lanarkshire, in Scotland, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Mr Rayner, a father-of-one, died from multiple injuries when his BMW motorbike collided with a Toyota Hilux pulling a trailer on the westbound carriageway near Bowes, on Easter Monday, April 6.

The 62-year-old was a construction manager, from Bishop Middleham, near Ferryhill.

During both inquests, the coroner’s senior assistant Crispin Oliver criticised the layout of the A66.

The McCurdys' inquest heard how witnesses described seeing the couple’s Seat Ibiza turning into a gap on the central reservation and joining the westbound carriageway, colliding instantly with a Citroen driving on the inside lane.

After recording a verdict of accidental death, Mr Oliver said he would write to the Highways Agency to express concern that there were no signs at the gap to state no entry, no right turn or no U-turns.

He said: “It is very difficult to determine what Kenneth was doing when he executed that manoeuvre.

“I’m concerned about what it is that made him think he could use that particular gap in the central reservation.

“Even a modest amount of signage might have affected the way he made that decision.

“I will be writing to the Highways Agency to see whether there is going to be a sign there as I think that was a contributing factor in this instance.”

Stephen Biddle, from Doncaster, who was driving the Citroen which collided with the McCurdys' car, said: “I’m positive I couldn’t have taken avoiding action.”

Mr Rayner's inquest heard how the Toyota Hilux, driven by gamekeeper Thomas Brooks, was turning right at the Otter Trust junction in order to cross the eastbound carriageway on to an access road to the Bowes Estate.

As there is no deceleration lane on the westbound carriageway, anyone turning right has to slow down in the fast lane.

Witnesses said Mr Rayner, an experienced motorcyclist, had sped up to finish overtaking vehicles in the nearside lane.

Witness Paul Jarmain agreed the motorcyclist had been “boxed in” and had nowhere to go and no time to slowdown by the time he saw the Hilux.

Although a no U-turn sign is in place, accident investigators Acting Sergeant Rob Taylor and PC Andrew Edgar confirmed vehicles were allowed to turn right at the junction.

Witnesses reported Mr Brooks had carried out the manoeuvre in a safe manner, braking and indicating in good time.

The 21-year-old said the inside lane had been clear when he moved into it and examinations of the Hilux and its trailer revealed the brake light and indicators worked.

Calculations suggested Mr Rayner was travelling at 86mph and PC Edgar said the biker’s vision could have been impaired by bright sunlight and his sun visor.

Mr Oliver concluded Mr Rayner had died in a road traffic collision and that the collision was an accident.

He read a letter from Vanessa Gilbert, of Highways England, which said no documents relating to the design and construction of the A66 had survived.

“I have serious concerns about the layout of the road and the absence of a slip road,” he said.

“I plan to write to the relevant authorities. I believe the circumstances and the issues arising from this inquest could cause further deaths.”