SOME of Britain’s best daredevil stunt riders thrilled the crowds at an annual event dedicated to motorbikes.

Among the stars of the show at Bikewise were the Royal Signals Motorcycle Display team, better known as the White Helmets, giving one of their final shows before being disbanded in the summer.

Darlington-based stunt rider Dave Coates gave an action-packed display of trick riding, along with mountain bike display team 3Sixty.

Thousands of enthusiasts attended the show at Durham Police headquarters at Aykley Heads in Durham, many of whom took the chance to speak to motorbike legend John McGuinness, 23-time winner of the Isle of Man TT, who signed autographs and chatted to fans.

There were also vintage motorbikes, police dog displays and a visit by the police helicopter and Great North Air Ambulance.

John McGuinness, who has regularly attended Bikewise over the last decade, said: “It has been a great day and super busy.

“I’ve signed a lot of autographs and it has been fantastic to see some friends, some family and some kids who have grown up over the time I’ve been coming here.

“It’s a great atmosphere, it’s a shame it has started to rain a little but it hasn’t dampened the spirts of anyone”.

Chief Constable Mike Barton said: “It has been a fantastic day and it has been great to welcome so many people to police headquarters.”

Sergeant Iain Rodgers, from the force's bike section, added: “Bikewise has been a tremendous success over the years and has helped our efforts to improve road safety. 

“However, motorcyclists remain among the most vulnerable of our road users and there are important messages to take away from the event to help keep them safe on the roads.”