TWO-WHEELED police patrols will target bikers riding through remote North-East dales over the bank holiday weekend.

The blitz in Weardale and Teesdale, County Durham, follows the death this month of a 31-year-old rider near Killhope.

Nissan worker Robin Hill, from Crook, County Durham, was killed when his 1000cc Suzuki collided with a car as he overtook on a blind bend on the A689 on May 8.

His death was the first biking fatality in the dales since 2003, when there were nine on the roads of County Durham and Darlington.

Patrols are going out on weekends because research has shown that most motorcycle accidents in rural areas happen on Sundays from April and September between 11am and 6pm, with seven out of ten victims aged between 30 and 59.

Investigations in the cause of each incident found that 74 per cent were caused by the bikers, with speed the main factor in a third of incidents.

Police traffic management specialists believe the rural west of Durham is a natural route for riders from as far afield as Lancashire as well as North Yorkshire and Northumbria.

Last year, police stopped more than 700 riders.

PC Mick Alder said: "The feedback we had was excellent.

"Bikers often get a persecution complex, but the riders we spoke to understood we wanted to talk to them about safety, not look for minor faults on their bikes.

"We always ask riders to show respect for the communities they are passing through, respect for others on the roads and to be aware of the need for safe motorcycling.

"As bikers ourselves, we want people to get out and about and have a good time without putting themselves or anyone else at risk."