Motorcyclist died in collision on Manchester Road, Knutsford

The collision, between a car and a motorcyclist, happened at 6.24pm on Manchester Road next to the Cottons Hotel.

The motorcyclist, a 29-year-old man from St Helens, died at the scene.

The collision involved a silver Mercedes C220 and a blue and black Suzuki GSXR motorbike.

Tributes left at the scene of the collision

Sgt Andrew Dennison said: “We are looking to speak to anyone who might have seen the incident or either vehicle just before the collision.

“If you have any information about the incident then please call Cheshire Police on 101, quoting incident number IML 359362, or send information via cheshire.police.uk/contact/general-enquiries/

Cottons Hotel manager Steve Ogden told the Guardian today (Monday): "This is yet another tragic incident that has occurred on the A50.

"All our thoughts are with the motorcyclist’s family and friends at this very sad time.

"We need to do everything we can to prevent future accidents on this busy stretch, and I hope the council will work with us and other business owners to help make our roads safer for everyone."

Tributes left at the scene of the collision

Cllr Andrew Malloy said today (Monday) that a changed road layout would help on that part of Manchester Road, where there were numerous entrances and exits from businesses onto a busy, fast road, to force vehicles to slow down past the garden centre and the hotel.

Tributes left at the scene of the collision

In October Mr Ogden called for the speed limit to be cut following the latest crash on the 60 mile an hour stretch of road.

Mr Ogden joined the hotel as general manager in February 2015, a month before a 56-year-old motorcyclist died after being involved in a collision with a car outside neighbouring business Fryer’s Garden Centre.

In September 2016 Miroslaw Chlap, a chef at Cottons, died after being hit by a car outside the hotel just after 10pm as he cycled home after work.

The car which struck him was driven by Melissa Darbyshire from Knutsford, who was sent to prison for eight years and banned from driving for nine years for causing death by careless driving while over the legal alcohol limit.

Mr Chlap’s family look after a floral memorial they created in the grass verge opposite the hotel entrance, and a bench near the spa entrance bought by Cottons in his memory bears a plaque to Mr Chlap.

Mr Ogden called in October for the speed limit on the stretch of Manchester Road which runs alongside the Guy Salmon Land Rover dealership, the hotel, garden centre and Gauntlet Birds of Prey, to be cut to 40.