A MOTORCYCLIST has died in an accident in the New Forest.

The rider, understood to be a man from Southampton, was riding west along the A35 from Dorset to Lyndhurst when he was in a collision with a white Mercedes Vito van travelling in the other direction.

He died at the scene.

Investigations were continuing yesterday into the accident, which happened near to Station Road and Holmsley Tea Rooms, in Holmsley, at 4.15pm on Saturday.

It is understood an off-duty paramedic gave assistance at the scene before the arrival of an ambulance and doctor.

A witness at the scene said that the ambulance had taken nearly 20 minutes to arrive – for life threatening emergencies the call out time should be eight minutes.

A spokeswoman for South Central Ambulance Service said it had taken 18 minutes for the first medical team to arrive and said there had been a huge demand in that area that day.

“It’s very unfortunate – we were having a busy day and resources were stretched and that was the nearest resource and got there as quickly as possible to the scene,” she said.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident itself or those that saw either vehicle in the period leading up to the accident to come forward, quoting the name Operation Larch.

Call Police Sergeant Andrew Lynch of the road deaths investigation team, based at Eastleigh, on non-emergency number 101.