6,000 expected at motorcycle event (From Gazette & Herald)

6,000 expected at motorcycle event

SAFETY concerns have been raised over plans to hold a motorbike rally for thousands of riders in North Yorkshire.

The Farmyard Party event takes place at Duncombe Park, near Helmsley, this month, and is expected to attract more than 6,000 riders to the area.

But Traffic Constable Richard Bentley, eastern area traffic management officer for North Yorkshire Police, says he has safety fears about the event.

"We have had 20 serious injury accidents on roads in Ryedale, Hambleton and Scarborough since May 1," he said. "Eleven of these accidents involved motorcycles, so there is clearly an issue of safety.

"Serious injury accidents are not just something people walk away from. The rider can be damaged for life."

He said his primary concern about the event was that speeding motorcyclists could use the B1257 Stokesley to Helmsley road.

"There have been a number of serious accidents involving motorcyclists on this road - in fact about 90 per cent of all accidents on that road have involved motorcyclists," he said.

"I want to stress the importance of safety to car drivers when around motorcyclists, but the biker has a responsibility to be safe.

"My message to all the motorcyclists travelling around Ryedale on the day of the event in Helmsley is to keep the speed down.

"Most accidents involving motorcyclists have resulted from them travelling too fast."

The event, which will see motorcyclists from across Europe gathering around Helmsley on June 22, has gained the support of the local town council.

It wants to make the bikers welcome, and has waived parking charges for them on the day - so in return the event's organisers have handed a cheque to the town council to cover its losses.

Peter Walker, from the Motorcycle Action Group, said: "There will be such an influx of motorbikes and the town council very kindly waived the parking fee, which is good of them.

"We worked out the shortfall would be about £200, so the cheque is from the action group as a way of saying thank-you.

"The money is going to Helmsley's jubilee fund as a token of thanks for the warm welcome that they gave us."

simon.horsborough@ycp.co.uk

Updated: 10:43 Saturday, June 08, 2002