A MOTORCYCLIST was taken to hospital after he was injured in a crash on Sunday morning.

The biker, a man in his 60s, was travelling north on the A68 at Toft Hill, near Bishop Auckland, when his machine collided with a car.

Emergency services were called to the scene close to the 68 Cafe, at the top of Toft Hill, at around 10am.

The injured man was taken to the James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, by the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS).

He is understood to have sustained a broken wrist and shoulder injuries but his exact condition is not yet known.

Police shut the road for about an hour to begin an accident investigation and to allow County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service to clean the road.

The biker, who is from Toronto in Canada, had recently flown to the UK to meet up with friends and was on the first day of a motorcycling holiday.

They were due to ride around Scotland and The Lake District before heading to the Isle of Man.

Witnesses to the incident are now being sought.

  • Anyone with information is asked to contact PC David Egglestone of Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit on 101.