Trevor Gibbs died after speeding on his motorbike at a dangerous junction near Swindon town centre, an inquest heard.

The 51-year-old died on August 1 last year after his Kawasaki motorbike crashed into a Mitsubishi 4x4 at the Whitehouse Bridges, by the junction of Station Road and Corporation Street.

At an inquest held yesterday at Swindon Council's Civic Offices, Swindon and Wiltshire coroner David Masters recorded a verdict of accidental death.

The accident happened on Sunday, July 31 at 6.45pm.

Mr Gibbs, a former doorman, had left a friend's house and was on his way home to Monkton Close, Park South, where he lived with his partner of 10 years, Rachael Gittins, 38.

As he approached the Cocklebury roundabout on Great Western Way, he was behind motorist Darren Campbell, who was driving a Proton car.

The former lorry driver of Cavendish Square, Park South, gave evidence at the inquest.

He said: "The motorbike was very close behind me, I could see his front tyre and he was revving his engine aggressively.

"I was aware he wanted to get past me. I pulled over to the left so he could overtake me just before the bridge entrance. He was easily doing more than 50mph.

"As he came in front of me he saw the Mitsubishi andbang."

Officers from Swindon's traffic police estimated that Mr Gibbs' motorbike was capable of reaching 60mph in 2.9 seconds.

As Mr Gibbs emerged from the tunnel under the bridge he saw Lucy Driver-Williams' Mitsubishi car.

The mother-of-two, who lives in London, was attempting to cross the junction from one side of Station Road to the other.

She moved slowly from where traffic lights had previously stopped vehicles and into a yellow hatched box.

Giving evidence at the inquest, she said she had looked left and right and was proceeding slowly when she suddenly saw the motorbike.

"I thought it was going too fast," she said.

"I didn't know what to do and the next thing I knew I heard a loud bang and my air bags were up."

Police confirmed that no criminal charges of dangerous or careless driving would be brought against Mrs Driver-Williams.

Mr Gibbs hit the front of her car and was thrown from his motorbike.

He lost both his legs in the accident and later died at the Great Western Hospital.

Another witness, Darryl Rock, of Maxwell Street, saw the crash and called the emergency services.

At the time of the accident the traffic lights at the junction had been out of use for almost two years.

PC Simon Akers, of Swindon police, said traffic police had requested something be done to improve the junction in May last year.

He said the council told him work to repair the traffic lights was due to begin in August.

It began three weeks after Mr Gibbs' death.

Mr Gibbs was wearing protective leathers and a helmet at the time, but police said his visor only let 12 per cent of light in, which is illegal.

In summing up his verdict, Mr Masters said: "If the motorbike was travelling within the speed limit the accident may not have happened in the way that it did with Mr Gibbs suffering horrendous injuries which led to the loss of his life."

Mr Gibbs' family were too upset to comment after the hearing.