A MOTORCYLIST was seriously injured in a crash with a car near a garden centre on Monday.

A Durham Police spokesperson said the collision, involving a motorbike and a car, happened just before 2.30pm, on the A182 at the junction with East Durham Garden Centre.

The 37-year-old motorcyclist suffered life-threatening injuries and was flown to hospital.

The driver, a 74-year-old man and his passenger, a 72-year-old woman, suffered minor injuries.

Officers would like to speak to anyone who witnessed the collision, or saw the vehicles being driven beforehand.

They would also like to hear from anyone who may have dashcam footage of the collision or the lead up to it.

A spokesperson for the North East Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 2.20pm June 1 to an RTC outside of East Durham Garden Centre.

"We dispatched three double crewed ambulances, a clinical care manager, a specialist paramedic and a rapid response paramedic.

"We also requested support from the Great North Air Ambulance Service. There were three patients in total, two of which travelled by road and one travelled by air to James Cook University Hospital.”

Anyone with information should contact Durham Police on 101 quoting incident reference number 221 of June 1.