TEACHERS and pupils at Easingwold School are mourning the death of one girl and praying for the recovery of another after the two pupils were involved in a serious motorcycle accident.

Marie Stebbings, 16, of Carlton Husthwaite, died when the motorcycle she was riding collided with a tractor on an unclassified road between Carlton Husthwaite and Husthwaite, near Thirsk, on Friday.

Her pillion passenger, Kate Shorthouse, 15, from Coxwold, suffered serious injuries and was taken to Friarage Hospital in Northallerton.

Carey Chidwick, head teacher of Easingwold School, described Marie as a "very popular and bright girl" who was due to take her GCSEs in the next few weeks. She said the whole school was praying for the speedy and full recovery of Kate.

She said: "Marie's death has affected the whole school and many of our youngsters will need a little more understanding than usual as they come to terms with the tragic waste of this young life."

Counselling and a helpline have been made available to pupils and a book of remembrance is being set up.

Meanwhile, two motorcyclists who died after their bikes collided head-on on the A169 Pickering to Whitby road on Sunday evening have been named as Frederick Alan Bowman, 61, from Darlington, and Cheryl Moor, 34, from Cottingham, in Humberside.

Elsewhere, a biker has suffered leg and shoulder injuries in yet another motorcycle crash on a North Yorkshire road.

Craig Allenby, of Ripon, was taken to Harrogate District Hospital, after his Aprilia motorbike was in collision with a Rover car on Sunday afternoon on the A61 at Bishop Monkton, just south of Ripon.

It is just another crash involving motorcyclists on the region's roads. In the last month, eight riders have died in tragic accidents.

The grim toll has led the Evening Press to relaunch its Arrive Alive campaign, highlighting safety awareness for motorcyclists.

Police are appealing for witnesses of Sunday's accident to contact them.

They are especially keen to speak to a driver who stopped briefly at the scene, but left before supplying his details.

Anyone with information is asked to telephone Harrogate Police on 01423 539474.

Updated: 12:04 Wednesday, May 08, 2002