AN innovative scheme has earned a national award for improving the safety of motorcyclists around the country.

The Handle It Or Lose It campaign, established by Stockton Borough Council, has been awarded the Prince Michael of Kent International Road Safety Award, considered to be the premier road safety award in the UK.

The campaign was designed and led by the Road Safety Team from Stockton, with the Black and White Media Agency and with support from Cleveland Police and, more recently, the Highways Agency.

The team runs weekend courses for riders of sports and high-powered bikes, has designed a website aimed at riders and takes an exhibition trailer to race circuits around the country.

Now, with funding from the Highways Agency, 250,000 leaflets have been produced to enable riders across the country to report dangerous or hazardous roads in need of repair to make them safer for motorbikes.

Stockton council's cabinet member for regeneration and development, Councillor Bob Cook, said: "The website and all the material produced are written by motorcyclists for motorcyclists. They are written in a style that you'd find in a high street motorcycle magazine.

"The team are all experienced riders and know what is appealing and useful, and what other material is patronising, so they've worked hard to get it right."

The Handle It Or Lose It website can be found at www.handleitorloseit.com For more information about courses for riders of sports and high-powered motorcycles contact Mark Robinson on (01642) 526734.