A TEENAGER has died after falling off a motorbike as he practised riding it with his parents in a car park in Bolton.

The 14-year-old was killed when the 125cc bike he was riding at the Reebok soccer stadium in Horwich crashed into a steel fencing chain.

His parents phoned an ambulance and he was taken to Royal Bolton Hospital but he died from multiple injuries.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the accident, which happened on car park B, used by home fans, at 7.30pm yesterday.

The car parks are separated by bollards linked with steel chains to divide the away and home football fans.

The parents of the teenager, who comes from Chorley, were too upset to talk today. A post mortem was due later today and the case has been referred to the coroner.

At 14 years old, it would have been illegal for the boy to ride on public roads and his parents were using the car park to give him some practice on the bike, which police say he owned.


Sgt Ken Carter, of Bolton Traffic Unit said: "This is private land and in the past, we have had incidents of high-powered cars racing on the site, but so far, there is no suggestion of anything like that in this instance.

"We have already had several witnesses coming forward to offer accounts and we will be interviewing them shortly to establish what happened.

"But we are keen to speak to any more witnesses as this is an extremely serious accident. The parents of the boy are obviously extremely distressed."

A spokesman for Bolton Wanderers said officials at the club were due to hold a meeting about the accident today.

A statement said: "Bolton Wanderers Football Club extends its deep sympathies to the family about the tragedy that took place on Sunday night."

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to ring Bolton Traffic Unit on 0161 856 5972.