Motorcyclist dies on A1(M)

The incident happened shortly after 11am on the southbound carriageway between junction 59 and junction 58, near Darlington.

Police closed the road in both directions to allow the air ambulance to land and to let paramedics to treat the 74-year-old rider at the scene.

It is believed he suffered a medical episode while on the bike. After extensive first aid at the roadside, he was pronounced dead.

The northbound carriageway was reopened a short time later but southbound was closed for nearly five hours while accident investigators attended the scene.

Diversions were set up to steer traffic away from the stretch of road involved.

Highways England traffic officers and Durham Police were on the scene of the crash, which happened just before noon.

Motorists were advised to expect long delays while the emergency services attended the scene.

Highways England announced at 12.30pm that the road remained closed southbound between J60 and J58 but the northbound carriageway had been reopened.

At 1.30pm, it Tweeted: "Investigation work is being carried out, with the road expected to remain closed for several hours."

Anyone who witnessed the accident or has any further information is asked to call Durham Constabulary on 101, quoting incident number 139 of October 9.