A man in his early 20s was in hospital last night after suffering head injuries when he fell from a motorbike near Saltaire roundabout.

Police and paramedics rushed to the scene, yards away from the junction, outside the Shell petrol station in Bingley Road in the early hours of yesterday.

The rider appeared to have lost control of the motorbike, a black Yamaha 125, at 3.10am.

He suffered what was initially thought to be life-threatening head injuries and an ambulance was summoned to take him to Bradford Royal Infirmary. He was later transferred to Leeds General Infirmary.

A police spokesman described his condition last night as ‘stable’. His family has been informed.

No other vehicles appear to have been involved, but police last night stressed that the full circumstances of the accident were the subject of an investigation.

The police spokesman said: “At 3.12am we were alerted to a road traffic collision described to us as being near the Shell garage in Bingley Road, Saltaire, where a local male had fallen off a motorbike.

“It initially appeared as though he had suffered bleeding on the brain.”

Officers from the Airedale and North Bradford Road Policing Team sealed off the highway to carry out detailed investigations at the scene of the accident.

Bingley Road, which forks off from Saltaire roundabout in the direction of Cottingley, remained closed to traffic until around 8.30am.

Witnesses or anyone with any information about the accident should contact Police Constable Andrew Long of Airedale and North Bradford Policing Team via 0845 6060606.