AN 87-year-old motorcyclist was airlifted to hospital after being hit by a car in Blackrod.

The man was left with a broken right leg, but is condition is not thought to be life-threatening.

The accident happened at about 11.50am today on the A6 Chorley Road, near the Cherry Tree restaurant, and involved a black motorbike and a blue Hyundai.

The road was closed off while police and paramedics attended and waited for the air ambulance to arrive.

Tom Taylor, owner of the Cherry Tree, said: “One of my customers was just leaving the restaurant, then ran across to me and said that an elderly man had been knocked off his motorbike.

“I went out to the main road and he was lying there. There was already a lot of people gathered around and then the police turned up.

“The road was blocked while the air ambulance was called to take him to hospital.

"There were about 11 police cars at the scene so it must have been serious.

“He had an injured leg and was lying on the road for a good hour before the air ambulance arrived.”

A police spokesman said: “We got a call at 11.47am about a road traffic collision involving a black motorbike and a car.

“An 87-year-old man was airlifted to hospital after suffering a fracture to his right leg. His condition is not through to be life threatening.”