A MOTORCYCLIST has died after a collision with a van and a car in North Yorkshire on Wednesday.

The 68-year-old man from Thirsk was riding a silver Honda motorbike on the road between Ripon and North Stainley, near Lightwater Valley, at around 3.55pm when he collided with a white Ford Transit van and a blue Vauxhall Vectra.

The motorcyclist and van were both travelling towards Ripon and the Vauxhall was travelling in the opposite direction.

The motorcyclist died at the scene of the collision and North Yorkshire Police are not yet able to release his identity.

The driver of the Vauxhall, a woman in her 40s, was taken to Harrogate District Hospital with minor injuries and later discharged. The van driver was uninjured.

North Yorkshire are appealing for witnesses of the collision or either of the vehicles prior to the crash, to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for the major collision investigation team, or email mcit@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.

The road was closed to allow collision investigators to examine the scene and to recover the vehicles. It reopened at 11pm.