A MOTORCYCLIST died after he lost control of his machine, an inquest heard.

James Daniel Casey, 46, died when his red Honda VRF motorbike left the A68 south of Tow Law and crashed into several small trees on Saturday August 8, last year.

Mr Casey, of Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, had been visiting the area to attend a Motorcycle Action Group (Mag) rally at Witton Castle, near Bishop Auckland.

Accident investigators from Durham Police were unable to establish why Mr Casey lost control of the bike and veered off the road into the planted verge.

The inquest, at Bishop Auckland Magistrate Court, heard that Mr Casey was an experienced rider and that the condition of the machine, road surface and weather offered no clue to the cause of the accident.

Alison Wanless, of Chester-le-Street, was driving her Volvo estate car from Edmondsley to Barnard Castle when she was overtaken by one of two motorbikes.

She recalled seeing Mr Casey's bike start to wobble as it overtook a second car half-a-mile south of the junction of the A68 and the B6299.

Miss Wanless said: "After it started to wobble it looked out of control and went off into the lay-by."

Amanda Blezard, a passenger on the second bike, said: "He was a sensible and experienced driver, so I cannot explain how he lost control of the bike."

Darlington and South Durham Coroner Colin Penna recorded a verdict of accidental death