A 29-year-old man from the Newcastle area has suffered life-threatening injuries after crashing on the Kirkstone Pass in Cumbria. The incident took place at around 5.30pm on Friday June 17 and saw the road closed in both directions for several hours.

The News and Star reports that emergency services were called to The Struggle area of the pass where the man was put into an induced coma.

A spokesman for the Great North Air Ambulance Service said: “He’d come off his bike at speed and hit one of the walls on the way down. He sustained a very serious head injury and was put into and induced coma.”

The man’s injuries were said to be life-threatening. He was flown to a major trauma centre in Preston and was in a critical condition after the 18 minute-flight.