POLICE are trying to work out the circumstances behind a head-on smash that claimed the life of a motorcyclist.

The biker, believed to be a local man in his 20s, became the 11th to die on North Yorkshire's roads this year.

His blue and white 600cc Suzuki collided head-on with a Silver Vauxhall Meriva at a bend, on a hill known as Purgatory Bank, on the A168 between Northallerton and Thirsk.

The road was closed for four hours following the accident, at about 6.20pm on Sunday.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the accident and people who saw either of the vehicles being driven before the crash.

In particular, they would like to speak to the rider of a red sports motorbike believed to have been travelling on the road at the time. Anyone who can help is asked to contact police on 0845 6060 247.

Last week, road policing officer PC Glenn Robinson was killed in an accident on the A59.

His funeral will be held on Thursday, at 1.30pm in Christ Church, Harrogate, followed by a private service.

Police have been campaigning to cut the number of bikers killed and seriously injured in the county for the past two years.

The campaign saw the number of riders and pillion passengers killed in accidents fall from 28 in 2003 to 17 last year.