A dirty helmet visor may have been one of the causes of a road accident at the top of Richmond Hill, in which a young biker from Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire lost his life.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Coroner Michael Moyle, said he couldn't say why Martin Baker lost control of his Suzuki machine, as he went round the left hand bend at the top of the hill, last Saturday afternoon.

However, a police officer who examined the scene of the crash said there was a film of dirt on the inside of the visor, and when Mr Moyle saw a photograph taken through it he likened the effect to a pair of sunglasses which had been handled by young children.

Graham Bell reports:

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Evidence showed Mr Baker wasn't travelling dangerously fast, but carried straight on at the bend, crossed the road and collided with a machine heading in the other direction.

Mr Moyle said he drove past the scene two or three times a day and the yellow acciden marks in the road clearly showed that was what happened.

The other biker managed to avoid Mr Baker's machine, as it slid into his path, but couldn't avoid the rider.

Mr Baker died at the scene, suffering massive blunt force trauma.

Mr Moyle suggested a momentary loss ofconcentration on an unfamiliar road may have led to the crash, and the investigating officer suggested Mr Baker may have applied the front brake, rather than the one at the rear.

After hearing from a number of witnesses Mr Moyle stressed there was no evidence of reckless or foolish driving. He also suggested Mr Baker could have got round the bend, given the speed he was travelling, if something hadn't intervened.

The other motorcyclist managed to stay on his machine, and wasn't injured.

(Picture: Douglas courthouse where Mr Baker's inquest was held).