Overtaking ban on “Helmsley TT”

Overtaking is to be banned on stretches of a road nicknamed the Helmsley TT by motorcyclists.

The B1257 in North Yorkshire is to get double white lines on a 20 mile stretch from Helmsley to Stokesley.

Anyone caught crossing the lines will risk three penalty points and a £60 fine, or a £1000 fine and a ban in court.

The move follows a series of motorcycle crashes on the road, including a fatal one two weeks ago.

Riders have also posted footage of themselves speeding on the road on websites including You Tube.

The road will be closed in four sections as work is carried out over the next two weeks.

North Yorkshire County Council spokesman Ben Hayes said the white lines would be put at “hazardous spots” and on a “number of bends and dangerous twists” between Helmsley and Stokesley.

He said the road was “known around the region as a favourite spot for motorcyclists” but added: “This is not just a safety measure against motorcyclists, this is traffic in general.”

He said: “The road has been an area of concern in terms of accidents for a number of years.”