A MOTHER is urging parents not to buy mini-motorbikes for Christmas three years after her son was killed in a crash.

John Sheehy died after crashing a borrowed mini-motorbike in Heywood Park, Great Lever, in 2005.

John, who was 18, died from severe head and chest injuries when the bike smashed into a 4ft-high security barrier.

Now John’s mum, Linda Bateson, is warning parents to be aware of the danger of mini-motorbikes and not to buy them as Christmas presents for their children.

Mrs Bateson, aged 52, of East Meade, Great Lever, said: “I know it’s coming up to Christmas and I just want to say to parents: Don’t buy them. I know that no matter what I say, people will still buy them, but these things are death traps.”

It is illegal to ride a mini-motorbike on the road, as they cannot be taxed or insured, and it is illegal to ride them on private land without the landowner’s permission.

Many stores do not sell the bikes because of the problems associated with them, but they can be easily obtained on the internet.

Echoing Mrs Bateson’s call, a police spokesman said: “Although it is legal to own a mini-motorbike, they can be extremely dangerous and can travel at speeds of up to 40 miles an hour. They are not toys.

“They are also often used in a manner that causes alarm, distress or annoyance, for which the owner can be prosecuted.”

Mrs Bateson added: “The police have been brilliant because they’re seizing them as soon as they see them, which I agree with.”

John would have celebrated his 22nd birthday next month. Mrs Bateson said she would never recover from her son’s death.

“It’s three years and the pain never goes away. They say time heals but it doesn’t — it gets worse and worse.