A 24-year-old man has died after the motorcycle he was riding was involved in a horrific collision with a car in front of dozens of shocked schoolchildren.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the smash which claimed the life of the rider, who was named today as Robert Spence, of Welburn Mount, Buttershaw - understood to be a father of two.

The accident happened at the junction of Reevy Road and Park Square, Buttershaw. A police spokesman said the motorcyclist was taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary with serious injuries and had since died.

His machine was in collision with a white Nissan Micra on the busy road which has a high volume of traffic at peak times.

The accident happened just as dozens of pupils were walking to nearby Buttershaw High School, in Reevy Road West.

The road was closed for more than five hours while an accident investigation team worked at the crash scene.

Police confirmed the red Honda motorcycle was travelling towards Wibsey Park Avenue when it was in collision with the Nissan Micra that was on the same carriageway.

Robert Illand, 78, said the accident happened outside his home on Reevy Road.

"I was in the kitchen when I heard a bump. I looked out and saw all the schoolchildren gathered round.

"I went out and saw a lad lying in the road with passers-by attending to him.

"A bike was lying on its side at the junction with a wrecked front end."

The widower said that up to 60 pupils were shocked witnesses to the aftermath of the accident.

Firefighters from Odsal attended the accident and assisted the ambulance crew to get the injured motorcyclist on to a long board.

They made the badly damaged Honda machine safe so it could be removed by the police.

Witnesses to the accident, which took place at 8.40am yesterday, are asked to contact PC 386 Trevor Brown at Bradford South Police on 0845 6060606.

Two lanes of the eastbound M62 at Junction 25 were closed by a rush hour accident last night.

Traffic chaos was caused after a 4x4 and a people carrier were in collision at the Cliff Wood junction, near Brighouse, shortly after 4pm.

A police spokesman said no one was injured in the accident that blocked the second and third lanes of the motorway for up to an hour.