First picture of trail bike boy, 17, killed by trip wire across track

A teenager was killed when he rode his trail bike into a wire strung between trees on a country track.

Ryan Acaster, 17, had been riding his high-powered machine in woodland close to several farms.

As he went down a disused track he ploughed into the wire, which had been tied between two trees at around chest height.

Ryan, who was not wearing a helmet, was thrown from his bike and suffered fatal injuries.

He was found by his father and airlifted to hospital but died without regaining consciousness.

Detectives were last night looking into a theory that the wire had been strung across the track as a 'booby trap' to prevent teenage bikers from using the dirt paths as racetracks.

There have been a series of confrontations in recent months between trespassing youths and farmers.

According to police, the wire may once have supported a sign warning walkers they were about to enter private property.

Detectives said Ryan had been riding on public land but may have unknowingly strayed into private woodland.

A police source said: 'At this stage there is nothing to suggest this wire has been maliciously placed there in order to injure someone.

'Early investigations reveal the wire may have been used to support a sign reading "Private Road" on it but somehow this has fallen off.

Ryan was riding his trail-bike on a dirt track at Martin Mere, near Burscough, Lancashire, when he was flung off by a trip wire

'This looks like an accident but we have launched a full investigation into the tragedy.'

The accident happened at around 2pm on Sunday in woodland close to Crossens in Southport, Merseyside.

Ryan had gone to the beauty spot in the morning to tackle some of the challenging woodland tracks on his trail bike.

At lunchtime his father, Dean, became concerned as he had not returned home and decided to look for him.

He found Ryan lying unconscious close to his bike and immediately alerted the emergency services, who sent a helicopter to the scene.

The air ambulance crew treated Ryan before airlifting him to the Royal Preston Hospital, where doctors battled in vain to save his life.

A post-mortem examination yesterday revealed he had died from head injuries.

Detectives are investigating how the wire came to be at the remote rural path

Last night, Ryan's father, 44, and mother Diane, 49, of Southport, were said to be devastated by the death of their youngest son.

Ryan's brother, Sean, 20, was said to be inconsolable over the tragedy.

His father said: 'He was a lovely, friendly, happy young man.

'We don't want to speculate about the circumstances, we just want to grieve for our son and let the police do their job and investigate what happened.'

One resident living close to the scene of the tragedy said: 'Youths plague the area at weekends, tearing round on their off-road bikes.

'It is difficult to see what is public land and what is private and this length of wire may have been put up to dissuade trespassers.'