Stunt tragedy film shown to bikers

A film featuring footage of a motorcyclist pulling a wheelie on a Shropshire road seconds before he lost control and died in a crash has been shown for the first time in a bid to encourage road safety.

The five-minute film, produced by West Mercia Police with permission from the victim Chris Burrell's family, was shown for the first time last night to bikers attending a regular meet at the Stormy Petrel pub in Tern Hill, near Market Drayton.

Mr Burrell, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, died last June when he crashed into an oncoming car on the A41 at Tern Hill while performing a wheelie stunt in front of hundreds of people. The father-of-two was a regular at the Thursday night meets at the Stormy Petrel pub.

The police film, entitled Dying for a Ride?, features CCTV footage which shows Mr Burrell, 44, balancing on the back wheel of his Suzuki bike for several seconds before losing control and crashing into a car on the opposite side of the main road.

It also features an emotional plea from his daughters Terri and Alexe Millward, urging other motorcyclists not to make the same mistake as their father.

It will continue to be screened at the meets throughout the summer.

Mr Burrell's youngest daughter Terri, 24, who was at the event, said it was completely out of character for their father – who was a member of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents – to do stunts.

She said: "He was a real biking enthusiast and safety was uppermost in his mind."

She said she hoped the video would encourage people to be careful, adding that it had been very difficult returning to the scene of the accident and that her father's friends were her "adoptive family".

The bike was displayed by police last night and will also be used at meets throughout the summer.

Mr Burrell's best friend Lindsay Mayer, 34, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, said he hoped people would think twice and that the accident had slowed him down.

Biker Mike Stephenson, 41, from Loggerheads, said: "It should be a positive impact and make people think about the consequences of their actions and how it can make a difference to other people really. At the end of the day if all this work and effort prevents one more fatality it's worth doing."

Ian Freeman, Stormy Petrel licensee and biker, said: "What we want is for everybody to go out, have a good time and get back home safe. If we save one life or cut down on one serious injury it's all worth it."

Rob Lewis, 29, from Wrexham, said: "I think all bikers would say this if they are honest, we can start to disrespect the highway and things like this make you think about things and what could happen if you disrespect it too much."

Chris Green, 34, from Llangollen, said: "Even if it slows only one or two people down it's going to help."

By Deborah Collins