A momentry lapse of concentration led to the death of a 53-year-old man from Goodrich, near Ross-on-Wye, who died shortly after collecting his motorbike from a garage in Lydbrook.

At the inquest held on January 11th a coroner ruled that the death of James Walters was a tragic accident.

Mr Walters died of multiple injuries in Southmead Hospital, Bristol, on 29th July last year - two days after the crash at Lydbrook.

Collision investigator PC Simon Edwards said the accident happened on the B4234 on a bend 630metres from the junction with the A4136. No mechanical defect was found on the motorcycle, which had been at the garage for ‘cosmetic’ work rather than to repair any fault.

He calculated the maximum safe speed for the bend at 53mph and that the bike was doing 52mph, he said.

This led to the bike ‘running wide’ around the bend, mounting the verge and going out of control. It happened, possibly, because the rider had a momentary loss of confidence, he said.

Gloucestershire coroner Katie Skerrett said: “It was a tragic momentary loss of control by an experienced driver.” The conclusion was accidental death.