A motorcyclist from the North-East was last night fighting for his life after an accident in the Lake District.

The 42-year-old, from Darlington, was airlifted to hospital after the smash near Coniston on Easter Monday.

He was left in a critical condition after his Honda machine was in collision with a car at around 2.20pm on the A593 at Park Coppice.

A fire crew from Coniston were first on the scene and gave emergency first aid to the man before he was taken to Furness General Hospital by the North West Air Ambulance.

The driver of the Silver Ford Fiesta involved in the crash and his wife, both from Manchester, were treated by paramedics for chest injuries at the scene.

The biker was later transferred by helicopter to the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesborough where he remains in a critical condition.

A number of other serious accidents involving motorcycles occured on the region's roads over the Bank Holiday weekend - despite pleas from police to slow down.

On Sunday a motorcyclist from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, was seriously hurt following a crash on the A64 at Hazelbush, between York and Malton.

He was overtaking slower moving vehicles when he hit a car turning right at about 7.40pm.

The man was transferred to Hull Royal Infirmary in the early hours of Monday morning where his condition was described as stable.

And on Good Friday a 27-year-old man from Lealholm, near Whitby, was killed in a motorcycle accident on the A171 near the town.

Last week North Yorkshire Police launched their 'toughest ever' crackdown on rogue motorcyclists, promising a strict policy of enforcement to cut the number of road deaths.

Over the Easter weekend they targeted the Yorkshire Dales, stopping 120 motorcyclists.

In total, 47 were issued with fixed penalty tickets for having illegal exhaust systems or registration plates and one for not wearing a helmet. Five were reported for speeding - one at 103mph and one at 98mph.

Police warned yesterday that the exercise will be repeated over the coming weeks.