A female motorcyclist was killed after smashing into a lamp post near Keighley.

The woman was catapulted from her motorbike as it crashed on the A650 Aire Valley trunk road yesterday afternoon. The force of the collision threw the driver against a second lamp post further down the road.

The local woman, about 32 years old, was travelling towards Marley from Crossflats when the green Suzuki motorbike crashed near the gas works at about 3pm.

Inspector Richard Whitehead, of Keighley Police, said he believed no other vehicles were involved, but urged witnesses to come forward.

He said: "Shortly before 3pm, we received a call about a fatal road accident on the A650. The driver was a lone female. We don't wish to speculate at this stage about the cause of the accident, but it is being fully investigated."

The Coroner had attended the scene, he added.

The north-bound carriageway was closed and traffic diverted along Bradford Road. The lamp post, which buckled from the impact, was being cut down.

Keighley Police appealed to witnesses to contact PC Cheryl Moore on (01535) 617059.