POLICE were last night trying to establish how two teenage school pupils were killed while riding a powerful motorbike.

Ross Leggate, 16, and his pillion passenger, 15-year-old Conor Lowden, died when the 750cc Kawasaki crashed into a lamp post in North Shields at 7.15pm on Saturday.

A motorcyclist also died after he was hit by at least four other vehicles on the A19 near Northallerton, North Yorkshire, at 10.35pm the same night, closing both carriageways.

Northumbria Police said they had traced the owner of the Kawasaki involved in the North Shields incident and were trying to establish why the two teenagers were riding it below the legal age limit.

Conor, who lived locally in Bamborough Terrace, died at the scene, while Ross, from the town's Wenlock Drive, died later in hospital. Both were pupils at John Spence Community High School.

The crash happened on Malvern Road. No other vehicles were involved.

North Yorkshire Police said that the A19 accident happened when a Triumph motorbike travelling north was involved in a collision with a Vauxhall Astra, close to the Haynes Arms pub at Kirby Sigston.

The rider was thrown from his bike and hit by several other vehicles, including a Vauxhall Corsa, a Mercedes Benz and a BMW. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Inspector Steve Burns, of North Yorkshire Police, said last night he could not yet be named as next of kin were still being informed

The family in the Vauxhall Astra had been eating at the Haynes Arms before the accident and went into the pub to report the collision.

The southbound carriageway was re-opened early yesterday but the northbound carriageway did not re-open until 11am.

Inspector Burns said: "We are confident that there are other vehicles which passed by the incident, some at the time, and some shortly after the collision.

"We are appealing for those motorists to come forward and contact us. In addition, we are appealing for any motorists who may have seen any of the vehicles, particularly the motorcycle or the Vauxhall Astra, immediately prior to the collision to contact us on 0845-60-60-247.

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