TWO motorcyclists died last Wednesday night in separate crashes involving the notorious A339 Alton to Basingstoke road.

The first happened at about 7-45 pm at Herriard. The Basingstoke and Andover mobile police station was being driven towards Alton when the officers onboard came across a broken-down car being used by some disabled people.

They stopped to help, put on their blue flashing lights and began directing traffic around the scene to protect the vehicle while the AA tried to fix the car.

During this time, a motorcyclist approached and lost control, whereupon he veered off the road and struck a tree.

Officers tried to save the biker by giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation but he died at the scene. The police vehicle was not involved in the crash.

The man who died was 44- year-old Graeme McLennen Halliday of The Vale, Oakley, near Basingstoke. He was riding a Yamaha motorbike at the time. Senior officers are commending Pc Bob Such and Acting Sergeant Elliot Howarth for their efforts in trying to revive him.

Due to the fact that a police vehicle was at the scene of the first crash when it happened, the matter has been reported to the Police Complaints Authority as a matter of course.

The second biker to die was riding along the diversion route set up after the first crash shortly before 8 pm on a Honda VFR 800 motorcycle.

He was travelling along Bagmore Lane at Ellisfield from the direction of the A339, when he cornered a bend and was in collision with an Audi coming the other way.

The deceased, who has been identified as 40 year-old Michael Purnell of Brunel Close, Micheldever, died from head injuries. The 41-ear-old woman driving the car and her 11-year-old son were not injured in the crash.

It is not clear at this time whether the first motorcyclist was involved in either the Lord Derby motorcycle rally or a similar meeting at Alton Cafe, which were both being held on the night in question. It is known, however, that the second biker was not.

Police are now appealing for witnesses to either crash to contact Basingstoke Traffic on 0845 045 45 45.