A motorcyclist who was killed along with his pillion passenger when his bike hit a bus was speeding, an inquest was told.

Benjamin Horton, 28, was riding the Kawasaki 600cc bike in Spen Lane, Gomersal, on May 26, last year with passenger Mark Walshaw, 22.

Six people have died on the notorious stretch of road in the last two years.

The bike, which had been fitted with competition tyres and exhaust, collided with the bus, which had turned right into Spen Lane from Woodlands Road.

The Court heart that Mr Horton, of Stoke-on-Trent, was thrown under the bus and died instantly as a result of shock and loss of blood. Mr Walshaw, of Westfield Lane in Wyke, was thrown through the window of the bus, knocking driver Margaret Sinclair into the footwell.

Mr Walshaw died in hospital more than a week later from multi-organ failure and Mrs Sinclair suffered severe injuries to her neck and shoulder.

The hearing at Huddersfield Magistrates Court heard how on May 26, Mr Walshaw and Mr Horton had met in the George pub in Cleckheaton, where Mr Horton was relief bar manager.

After leaving Mr Walshaw's girlfriend Vickie Gregson in the pub, they set off together on Mr Horton's bike, but crashed only minutes later. Neither had drunk alcohol.

The court heard a statement from Mrs Sinclair, a bus driver for eight years. "As I set off I checked left again and right again and the bike was there," she said.

"He just seemed to be travelling towards me. I couldn't get out of his way. I just thought 'Oh my God'. It only seemed a second before he hit me. I just remember flying through the air and ending up on the floor by the bus doors."

Darren Sharrock, who was walking along Spen Lane with his family, saw the bus pull out. "I said to my wife 'They've got no chance'. I saw the bus in the middle of the road. I saw the bike try to brake, but the back end lifted up and the passenger somersaulted into the side of the bus window." He estimated the bike's speed to be 100 mph.

Stephen Brownlee, who lives on the corner of Woodlands Road and Spen Lane, heard "a very powerful bike" approaching.

"Its revs were up and it sounded as if it was really motoring," he added. "I heard an almighty bang - the loudest crash impact I've heard in 20 years of living there, because we do get a few each year."

Ian Lambton, of West Yorkshire Police's Accident Investigation Branch, told the court that Mr Horton had a sight line to the bus of 60 metres from the kerb or 90 metres from the middle of the road. If he had been travelling at 30mph he would have stopped in 27 metres.

He said both the bike and the bus were free of any defects which could have caused the crash. "This motorcycle was travelling at a speed in excess of 50mph and the motorcycle was not in view when the bus pulled out," said Mr Lambton. "The cause of the accident was excessive speed."

Assistant Coroner James Turnbull asked Mr Brownlee what he thought could be done about safety on the road.

"Spen Lane is a very busy road," said Mr Brownlee. "There have been a lot of proposals but it is not suitable for road humps. It needs something to control the traffic speed."

Turnbull told the court: "Speed of the motorcycle was the principal and only cause of this terrible tragedy. There was nothing Mrs Sinclair could have done to avoid what happened."

He recorded a verdict of accidental death on both men and said he would be taking advice from traffic police about the potential dangers of the road and if necessary passing on his views to the authorities for possible improvements.

Speaking after the inquest, Mr Walshaw's brother, Matthew, said: "I hope safety is improved on that road. Anything that would stop another family going through this.

"Mark's death has left a hole in all our lives."