RECKLESS youngsters are putting their lives at risk by removing brakes from their bikes as part of a deadly new craze.

The dangerous fad sweeping York's youth has come to light after The Press investigated the story of an eight-year-old boy who had a miraculous escape when his bike collided head on with a car.

Chad Crosby, who lives near Monkton Road, York, incredibly escaped unscathed when he rode his bike straight into the path of a car. It later emerged that unbeknown to his parents, the brakes had been taken off his bike because it was "cool".

Now his parents and police are urging other families to be aware of the condition their children's bikes are in - or face potentially tragic consequences.

Chad's mum Patricia Butler, 44, said: "I didn't know he'd taken the brakes off the bike. It's cool not to have them.

"It seems to be a craze that's going around not to have brakes.

"The amount of shoes he's worn out using his feet as brakes - but everybody does it. If you have brakes it's classed as being a sissy.

"It's dangerous, but kids don't realise that.

"I'm just hoping they (other parents) can learn from this experience. It could have been a lot worse. You've got to keep a check on kids' bikes."

Chad's dad, David Crosby, 42, said: "Where we used to live (in another part of York) the young ones were changing bits on their bikes and making them look a bit better. They just don't think of safety. You take it for granted nothing will happen."

Wearing helmets while riding is also classed as "uncool" among children.

Chad collided with the car when he was riding his bike along a pavement and moved into the road to avoid people coming towards him. He rode straight into the path of the car which he had not seen because of vehicles parked along the road.

"There were two ladies on the path and they had four dogs, there were cars parked so I had to go on the road," he said. "The car was coming and I bashed into the front of the car."

Patricia said: "If the car had been going faster, he could have quite easily died.

"The first thing I knew about it was when I got a knock on the door saying my son had been involved in an accident. When they come down and say they've run your son over, you start to think the worst. But he hasn't hurt his head or anything."

The condition of Chad's bike only emerged after the accident, which happened on Friday morning, which was taken away by police because it was unfit for road use.

His mum was so shocked she bought her son a new bike straight after the youngster had been given the all-clear at York Hospital.

She has insisted her son does not meddle with his bike. "He's not allowed to touch the bike besides riding it," she said. "I honestly think he's learned from this."

Dangerous craze

PC Richard Ellis, of York Police - who investigated the accident - branded the craze to take brakes off bikes as "downright dangerous".

"It's quite shocking," he said. "The summer is effectively gone, the road conditions are getting worse, it's just impossible for anybody to react to pedestrians or other road users if they don't have brakes fitted to their vehicle.

"It's downright dangerous.

"Bikes have to have brakes fitted both front and rear."

He urged parents to be aware of their children's bikes and make sure they had brakes properly fitted.

Bike shop owner Andy Shrimpton, of Cycle Heaven, Bishopthorpe Road, York, said: "Apparently on some BMX bikes in skate parks the brakes are removed because they are not needed. You might get a kid trying to imitate a real hard-core skate rider like that - a very stupid thing to do.

"The fact is you need brakes. It is illegal for us to sell a bike without two working brakes."