TRAFFIC police are stepping up special weekend patrols in the Durham dales where they say born-again bikers need to be saved from themselves.

A new safety appeal is going out over the next few days when an influx of riders is expected during the Bank Holiday break.

Over Easter two bikers died on rural roads in North Yorkshire and Northumberland and there was a minor accident near High Force, in Teesdale, Since then two more motorcyclists have been badly hurt in accidents at Staindrop and Killhope.

Police say although bikers have responded positively to informal road checks, they still need to emphasise the dangers they face.

Mobile speed cameras set up at the same time have caught more speeding local drivers than motorcyclists.

Sgt Bob Brown, the head of Durham's motorcycle section, said: "A significant proportion of those caught out by our mobile speed cameras are, in fact, local people - and ironically complaints about weekend bikers come from people in those same local communities.

"We want bikers to ride within their limits, not hammer through villages, and to think of those behind the wheel of slower moving vehicles who might be startled by the sudden appearance, speed and noise of a high-powered bike."