Dead bikers raced at up to 140mph

The forensic officer said the men would have had seconds to react

The deaths of two motorcyclists in County Tyrone two years ago were caused by "gross excessive speed", a coroner has ruled.

Anthony Thompson, 38, and Colin Thornton, 43, died instantly when their motorcycles hit a lorry exiting from a side road just outside Newtownstewart.

The inquest into the July 2006 deaths was held in Omagh on Friday.

Forensic officer Dr Emerson Callender said it was likely the men were travelling at "136mph or more".

He said that at that speed, they would have had between three and four seconds to react.

Both men suffered massive head and neck injuries.

An eye-witness told the court that Mr Thornton and Mr Thompson appeared to be racing each other at somewhere in the region of 140mph.

He added that they did not appear to see the lorry and that they stood no chance at the speed they were travelling.

The coroner, Brian Sherrard, said that both men had been travelling at a "grossly excessive speed, somewhere in the region of 136mph".

He said they died from multiple injuries.

The coroner offered his condolences to the families, and said the case highlighted the importance of heeding the rules of the road.