Biker suffers serious injuries

Two men are in South Tyneside hospital after the incident

A motorcycle passenger is seriously ill in hospital after a crash between the bike he was riding and a car.

The accident happened just after midnight on Monday morning in the village of West Boldon.

Police were called to the scene at 0007 BST after the incident at the junction of Addison Road and Harton View.

The motorbike was in collision with a Vauxhall Astra driven by a 42-year-old man from East Boldon, who sustained minor whiplash injuries.

The driver of the 600cc Suzuki motorbike, a 33-year-old man from Cleadon, suffered a broken leg and is in South Tyneside Hospital.

His passenger, a 23-year-old male from Whitburn, received serious head injuries and is in intensive care at the hospital.

Police closed Addison Road for two hours while they investigated the accident.