Former Southlands High School pupil, Ryan Acaster, died on Sunday after suffering catastrophic head injuries when his bike collided with a wire on a remote dirt track near Martin Mere.

His mother, Diane Catterall, of Chapel Street, Brinscall, said he was a likable lad with a heart of gold.

Mrs Catterall, who was separated from Ryan's father, said: "Ryan went to his dad's house every other weekend and he would often go to the bike track and he knew it like the back of his hand.

"On Sunday he had invited two of his friends to meet him with their new bikes. They had been taking it in turns to go around the track but Ryan was longer than he should have been so his friends went to find him.

"A couple walking with their dog found Ryan and had rang an ambulance and when they saw his friends searching for him they shouted them over."

Mrs Catterall said she had a call from one of Ryan's friends to say he'd been seriously injured.

She said: "We got hold of Ryan's brother Sean and made our way to Royal Preston Hospital. They tried four times to resuscitate Ryan but there just wasn't anything they could do.

"There are just too many good memories that we have of Ryan and we have been completely overwhlemed by the support we have received since he died."

Detectives investigating Ryan's death have totally ruled out a murder inquiry and say that the one centimetre thick wire, which had only recently been put up, was being used to keep people from getting on to the land.

To read more on this story, pick up a copy of this week's Chorley Guardian.