AN ELDERLY North Yorkshire motorcyclist has been killed in an accident on a rural road in the county.

The 71-year-old man, from Selby, died after his 800cc Honda Pacific Coast motorcycle was in collision with a car near Malton at about 6.15pm yesterday.

He is the 21st motorcyclist to be killed in an accident on North Yorkshire's roads in 2002 - the previous worst recorded total was in 1996 when there were 18 biker fatalities.

The accident happened outside Whitwell Grange Farm on the Barton Hill to Castle Howard road.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said the motorbike was travelling from the Castle Howard direction towards the A64 and Barton Hill, when it was in collision with a Ford Sierra car being driven in the opposite direction by a 52-year-old man from York.

"The rider of the Honda received serious injuries from which he later died in York District Hospital.

"The driver of the Sierra sustained slight injuries. He was treated in York District Hospital and later discharged.

"The collision occurred on a bend and the road was closed for almost four hours," the spokesman said.

Cyril Shreeve, from the Malton, Norton and District road safety committee, said: "There are some rather nasty bends on that stretch of the road - whether you are on a motorbike or in a car you have to be very careful.

"I have no idea what was going on in this particular case, but I know that that road does need to be taken at a lower speed and with care.

"You never know what you are going to see round a bend."

A man was killed today when he was struck by a train on the York to Middlesbrough line.

The incident happened at about 5am near Northallerton, and caused some disruption to immediate services.

Police said there were no suspicious circumstances regarding the death.

Updated: 11:14 Wednesday, September 25, 2002