A MOTORCYCLIST was killed when he came off his machine on the A19 south of York.

The 26-year-old man, believed to be from the Selby area, was one of three friends riding their motorbikes on the A19 towards York near Riccall when the accident happened at 7pm yesterday.

Police believe the man was the last of the three in the group and lost control of his bike on a bend in the road close to Sheds Bell Farm.

He came off the bike and collided with a hedge. The bike came to rest about 25 metres away in a hedge on the opposite of the road.

His friends returned to the scene when they realised he was not behind them and they administered first aid along with passing motorists until the paramedics arrived.

But the man was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was taken to York Hospital.

Police have yet to release the man's name until his family had been informed.

PC Chris Redin said: "This is yet another tragedy involving a high- powered motorcycle and a young man on the roads of North Yorkshire.

"We are appealing for anybody who witnessed this horrific accident to come forward and contact us."

Witnesses can contact PC Iain Atkinson on 0845 6060247.

Last year, the number of motorcycle-related fatalities fell from 28 to 17. In June, senior police officers in York and North Yorkshire had announced a series of road casualty reduction operations on the last day of the working week called "no accident Fridays".

They were aimed at cutting the toll of serious injuries and deaths that occurs on the county's 6,000-mile network of highways after Government figures revealed that Friday was the most dangerous day to be on the county's roads, with 13 people hurt on average.

Updated: 10:27 Saturday, September 24, 2005