A POLICE bid to cut accidents on the roads during the British Superbike Championship has been declared an overwhelming success.

Officers from six forces awaited the 35,000 spectators who arrived at Croft Circuit, near Darlington, at the weekend.

With only one serious accident and eight speeding tickets issued, the use of resources was worth it, said North Yorkshire's head of road policing, Superintendent Martin Deacon.

He said: "A great deal of time, resources and manpower went into this operation.

"But it is a sobering thought that the cost would be just a small proportion of the cost of a single fatal road accident."

Praising the behaviour of the majority of bikers, he said: "They were responsible and sensible on the road, and good-humoured and law-abiding at the track and campsites.

"We had doubts about how some riders might react to such a high-profile police operation, but rider after rider has shown understanding and support for what we are doing to cut casualties among the two-wheel fraternity."

Officers from Cleveland, Durham, Cumbria, Lancashire and Humberside joined colleagues from North Yorkshire on all the main routes to and from the racing circuit.

The operation was launched amid fears the event would add to the motorcyclist death toll on North Yorkshire's roads. A total of 28 died bikers died in the county last year.

This was the first time the championship has been held in the North-East, and it was the biggest event ever held at Croft.

Many of the roads around the circuit became jammed with traffic.

However, Clare Jones, Croft spokesman, said several e-mails were received yesterday from spectators who were impressed with the way traffic had been handled.