A MOTORCYCLIST has died after he was involved in an accident with an ambulance vehicle.

Police are investigating the fatal incident between the bike and a rapid response vehicle, which happened at about 5.30pm on Thursday.

They have issued a witness appeal, and are particularly keen to speak to a lorry driver who was seen in the area at the time.

Paramedics were responding to an emergency, with sirens blazing and lights flashing, when their vehicle was in collision with the motorcycle, which was travelling in the opposite direction on the B3227, near the motorcyclist's home town of Taunton.

The rapid response vehicle was travelling from Norton Fitzwarren to Cotford St Luke, to treat a reported cardiac arrest. An ambulance which was following behind the rapid response vehicle was able to treat the casualty, but he died at Taunton's Musgrove Park Hospital.

Yesterday, the Western Morning News was unable to speak directly to Ken Wenman, chief executive of the South Western Ambulance Service. In a statement, he said: "The circumstances will be the subject of an internal investigation and no further comment can be made by the trust until such time as this has been completed."