AN appeal to "born again bikers" to attend refresher courses before taking high powered machines out on to the road has been made by a coroner and the police.

The move came at the inquest into the death of weekend rider William Nutter, 36, of Bank Terrace, Simonstone.

Mr Nutter died from multiple injuries when his Suzuki R1100 bike went out of control and slid under an approaching Nissan Patrol on the Nelson-Gisburn road outside the Moorcock Inn.

The bike burst into flames in an accident described by East Lancashire Coroner David Smith as horrifying and horrendous.

He heard that father-of-two Mr Nutter, design engineering manager at Rossendale firm Colebrand, applied his front brake on a bend, locking up the wheel and losing control.

Accident investigator PC John Sutcliffe said: "It comes down to lack of judgement or inexperience. No-one has suggested he was riding at an excess speed."

Recording a verdict of accidental death, the coroner said police and other services in both Lancashire and Cumbria were very concerned at the number of fatal accidents involving motor cyclists on the run through East Lancashire to Settle and on other roads leading to Kirkby Lonsdale, where bikers regularly gather.

PC Sutcliffe said many of the accidents involved people who had returned to biking in middle age on machines more powerful than those they had been used to in their teens.

Lancashire County Council is now offering "back to biking" courses and both police and the county council will be handing out leaflets and giving advice at this weekend's Rossendale Bike Show.

Mr Nutter, a design engineering manager was with two friends and his brother Andrew on what was described as a "nice little gentle ride out'' towards Gisburn.

He was on a left hand bend when he applied his front brake.

The machine slid across the road under the Nissan which was pulling a caravan.

Andrew, of Castlerigg Drive, Burnley, was one of the first at the scene and went to help his brother while others were fighting the fire and helping those in the Nissan.

Nissan driver Graham Brierley of Littleborough said the bike dipped at the front, fell and slid across the road under his vehicle.

"We were then engulfed in flames, it was terrible,'' he said.

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