A MOTORCYCLIST was seriously hurt and two other riders were also injured when their bikes collided on a country road in County Durham at the weekend.

The incident happened just after 1pm on Sunday, July 17, on Stanhope Road, Middleton-in-Teesdale.

Two groups of riders were on the same road, heading in opposite directions when the lead motorbike bike in one group collided head-on with the lead bike in the other.

The Northern Echo:

The lead rider of a BMW R1200, who was heading east away from Middleton-in-Teesdale was a 56-year-old man from Darlington.

He suffered a suspected broken wrist and concussion and was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital.

The lead rider of the second group, a 61-year-old man from Newcastle suffered serious leg injuries and was taken by air ambulance to the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

His condition is described as stable.

A 54-year-old rider from Darlington who was riding a Suzuki machine which was part of the group heading east, was also hurt.

He managed to avoid the collision by ditching his vehicle to the roadside, but he suffered suspected broken fingers as a result.

The Northern Echo: