Teenager dies in motorbike crash

An 18-year-old man died when the motorcycle he was riding crashed head-on with a car in Lancashire.

Joshua Holmes was travelling along Burnley Road towards Gisburn with another motorcyclist when the crash happened on Monday night.

As his bike collided with a Volkswagen Polo, the second motorcycle crashed with debris and both riders were thrown from their machines.

In a statement Mr Holmes' family said said they were "devastated".

Mr Holmes was working as a refrigeration engineer and was due to start a three-year course.

The 18-year-old died at the scene, and the second rider suffered a broken arm.

He was taken to Burnley General Hospital for treatment.

Minor injuries

The driver of the Polo, a 27-year-old woman from Crawshawbooth, suffered a broken collar bone and her sister, who was the front seat passenger, suffered minor injuries.

Both women were taken to Airedale General Hospital.

A third motorcyclist who had been out riding with the two bikers, who are both from Burnley, avoided the collision.

Sgt Mick Young, from Eastern Road Policing Unit, said: "I would appeal to anybody who witnessed the collision to contact the police so that the full facts can be investigated.

"I would particularly like to hear from anybody who saw three motorcycles travelling together between Nelson and Gisburn around 10.15pm on Monday night."