THE father of motorcyclist Phil Atkinson, who suffered serious head injuries when he was in collision with a car in York two days ago, said his son is facing a difficult fight back to health.

But York taxi driver David Atkinson, who heard about the accident in Holgate Road over his taxi radio hours before he discovered that his 37-year-old son was involved, said family and loved ones were praying for his full recovery.

Phil remains in a critical but stable condition in the intensive care unit of Leeds General Infirmary.

He was on his way to work at British Sugar in Boroughbridge Road when the accident happened just before 7am on Wednesday. His bike was in collision with a Renault Clio which was pulling out of a private driveway close to the junction of Hamilton Drive East.

David and his wife, Val, live only doors away from their son, a former Guardsman with the Scots Guards, and his long-term girlfriend, Rachel Keller, in Danum Road, Fulford.

David said the police believe that experienced rider Phil dropped his bike to the ground seconds before the collision to avoid being thrown over the vehicle and he collided with the car feet first, causing his leg to break in two places.

However, his bike is then thought to have slammed into him, causing serious head injuries.

David said: "Phil is very active, he was supposed to go to Spain on Saturday paragliding, and he goes to the gym two or three times a week, which all goes in his favour.

"But the doctors can't say if he will make a 20 per cent recovery, or 90 per cent or 100 per cent. They just don't know yet if there is brain damage.

"We are all pulling together, but I have my tearful moments. When they said to us at the hospital that we could still lose him, that was really bad. You think it's impossible, from going to work in the morning to ending up in hospital like that.

"But we are all rooting for him."

Phil featured in the Evening Press in July 1983 after he helped to rescue a three-year-old boy from a dangerous river while serving with the Scots Guards in Hong Kong.

Phil, who was then aged 18, was on anti-immigrant patrol on the Chinese border when he and two colleagues jumped into the river after seeing the boy fall from a footbridge.

Updated: 09:01 Friday, June 21, 2002