Coroner's 'lethal' bike concerns

A coroner is to investigate the selling of imported off-road motorbikes on eBay after hearing how a boy caught fire in a 30mph collision.

Zak Gregory, 17, died after the bike he was riding crashed into a car and burst into flames in Wiltshire, last August.

An inquest heard the off-road miniature trials bike, bought by a friend from the auction website, was poorly made.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, coroner David Master described the machine as a "lethal weapon".

Safety concerns

The hearing was told that the teenager, who was from Frome in Somerset, had apparently "nagged" his friend to let him ride the Chinese-made 110cc Loncin model.

Police said the cap on the bike's plastic fuel tank popped out on impact with a parked car, spewing fuel which ignited on the hot engine.

Mr Masters said: "It concerns me that this bike was able to be imported to the UK. It's a lethal weapon.

"I will write to the head of Trading Standards expressing my concerns.

"I intend to make further inquiries into how it is that such motorcycles, which I understand are made for use in China, can come to be in this country and used, unwittingly it seems, with plastic fuel tanks and caps that can pop off."

Zak's stepmother, Carlynne Jones, 34, said after the hearing: "I'm appalled by the safety of the bike.

"I'm happy the coroner is going to look into this. I don't want anyone else to go through what we have gone through."