A MOTORCYCLIST who suffered serious back and leg injuries was lying in the middle of the road for half-an-hour before paramedics turned up.

The 21-year-old Bournemouth man was hurt when his red Honda motorbike collided with a silver, convertible BMW registered to a man from Surrey.

The incident took place just before midday on Sunday in Bath Road, Bournemouth, outside the Mayfair Hotel.

It was more than an hour before the casualty was taken to hospital.

A spokesman for the South Western Ambulance Service Trust said: "The first resource was on scene within approximately 30 minutes of the call being received.

Following assessment at the scene by a paramedic a second resource was requested and took the patient to Poole Hospital."

The accident took place in front of a Swanage Breezer bus. A passenger, who does not wish to be named, said: "We couldn't believe how long it took for the ambulance to get there.

"The poor man was on the road for about an hour with people walking past looking at him. I hope he will be all right."