Guernsey school student motorbikes 'unsafe' to ride

Only one quarter of the bikes inspected were found to be completely safe to ride

One in five motorbikes ridden by Guernsey schoolchildren were found to be at risk of "catastrophic failure" after inspection.

Of the 84 vehicles examined by Guernsey Police and Traffic and Highway Services (THS), 18 were banned for having the potential to cause "serious injury".

Just 21 were found to be "entirely roadworthy" following the checks at the island's secondary schools.

The checks were undertaken as part of a THS Road Safety Week initiative.

THS road safety officer Mark Brockway said the volume of unsafe motorbikes ridden by minors was "damning".

It is legal to ride a motorbike with an engine capacity up to 50cc on Guernsey at the age of 14 and 125cc for over-16s.

'Too dangerous'

The island does not have a mandatory system of checks on any vehicles comparable to the UK's annual MOT.

Parents of the 45 children with bikes that had faults that could be fixed were informed and instructed to resolve the issues.

THS will roll out a programme of spot checks and educate young riders on the importance of maintenance, Mr Brockway said.

"Let me be clear, if your bike is too dangerous to ride, we will be taking it from you - no ifs, buts or maybes," he said.

"We ask parents of those with scooters or motorbikes to regularly check them."