Five bikers were left seriously injured last weekend and police are urging motorcyclists to sign up for free safety courses.

Over the first weekend of May there were five serious crashes involving motorcycles in Sussex and Sussex Police are telling motorcyclists to take Bike Safe courses.

Sussex Safer Roads Partnership organises Bike Safe courses aimed at helping motorcyclists keep out of danger.

It also organises free Biker Down emergency training workshops run by bikers for bikers to prepare motorcyclists should the worst happen on the roads and they find themselves first at the scene of a crash.

In 2013, one in every eight people killed on the county's roads were motorcyclists and almost one in every four of those who suffered serious injuries in crashes were on bikes.

Sergeant Stewart Goodwin said: "We have a number of operations running throughout the summer period, the intention of which is to make motorcycling in Sussex as safe as we can.

"The county's roads are well known by the motorcycling fraternity as nice routes to ride on and we welcome all those who come to use them.

"However we will not tolerate inappropriate and dangerous riding or the use of machines that are unsafe or being ridden illegally, such as with bald tyres or without tax, insurance or number plates.

"We use patrols across the county to catch those who do not obey the law and we will continue to find and stop offenders around the clock."

For more information about bike safety visit www.sussex.police.uk/help-centre/ask-us/roads,-driving-and-cycling.

To sign up for a Bike Safe or Biker Down course visit www.sussexsaferroads.gov.uk/safer-for-motorcyclists/training.html.

If you see antisocial driving by motorists or motorcyclists, report it at www.operationcrackdown.co.uk.