Top skater remains critical

Richard Taylor in action on his skates before the crash

In-line skating and freestyle skiing champion Richard Taylor remains critically ill after colliding with a lamp-post near his home.

Taylor, 23, from Barry in south Wales, fractured his skull and broke his legs in the accident on Tuesday.

He remains on a ventilator in the intensive care unit at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.

His family issued a statement on Saturday saying: "This is a tragic accident and the outlook is poor."

Taylor had been skating with friends just yards from his home when he crashed into the concrete post.

His father John Taylor said he had constantly urged his son to wear a helmet, but he had not been wearing one at the time.

Mr Taylor said: "We have always known it was a possibility that he could be injured with what he does.

"It is the same with any sport where you are going fast - there is always going to be that danger.

Mr Taylor said Richard had started skating because he wanted to be a stuntman. He added that safety equipment had been a constant discussion between them.

"We have always asked him to wear his helmet and have always encouraged all kids who skate to wear theirs - they must," Mr Taylor said.

"He did wear them in competitions or when he was on TV, but on this occasion he was only going down the park with his mates."

Taylor with the ski trophy he won in March

"He used to say the helmet didn't offer a lot of protection, and we often urged him to design a better one."

Mr Taylor said Richard had been recovering from a dislocated knee when the accident happened.

"His friends said it looked like his knee gave way and he fell and hit the lamp-post at speed.

Last month he won the UK National In-Line skating championships for the second year in a row.

Richard, who turned professional when he was 15, has also travelled around Europe, America and Australia putting on shows for thousands of teenage fans.

And he had turned to freestyle skiing as well.

Taylor had competed in the British Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding Championships in Les Deux Alpes in March and won the big air ski title.

His father has paid tribute to his son's influence on younger skaters.

"He is a hero to Welsh kids. He is among the top 10 skaters in Europe and in the top 50 worldwide," Mr Taylor said.