Motorcyclist Stephen Thompson has 'no feeling in arm' after crash

Stephen Thompson was seriously injured at this year's North West 200 motorcycling meeting

Northern Ireland motorcyclist Stephen Thompson has said that he has "no feeling at all" in one of his arms following his serious crash at this year's North West 200 meeting.

Thompson said that the broken bones he received in the crash in Portstewart in May are "now healing".

"But my main concern is I have no feeling in my arm at all," Thompson said in a Facebook posting.

"I am hopeful something can be done but it's going to take a long time."

Thompson, who remains in Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital, was making his first public comment since the crash involving three riders at the Northern Ireland motorcycling meeting in which a spectator was also injured.

"I'm lying here thinking all I want is my old life back, going to work, racing my bike and back home to my family and I would be very happy," added the Crumlin man.

"I'm still going to be in hospital for a few weeks yet with doing physio every day and I have a few wounds that need treated every other day.

"But I'm very thankful to be here as I know things were not good for me."

Thompson, 39, sustained a collapsed lung and bleeding on the brain as well as well as leg, arm and hand fractures in the crash.

A fund has been set up which aims to raise money to help aid Thompson's treatment.

Spectator Violet McAfee sustained head and leg injuries in the crash but later told the BBC that was was "confident" of making a good recovery.

Liechtenstein rider Horst Saigar sustained a broken arm in the crash while Englishman Dean Harrison escaped injury.