A YOUNG mother - now facing parenthood alone after her partner was killed in a motorbike accident - is backing a North-East road safety campaign after a rise in the number of serious crashes.

Faye Keeler's partner of ten years, Chris Earl, died instantly less than a mile from their home in Liverton Mines in east Cleveland after his bike hit an oncoming truck on a warm summer's day last July.

The Northern Echo: Collect picture of Fay Keeler, Chris Earl and their son Harley Earl. Chris died when his motorbike collided with a truck in Liverton.

Chris Earl, Fay Keeler and their son Harley Earl

The grieving 25-year-old has backed a campaign by Road Safety GB North East, which aims to raise awareness of bike safety and cut the number of motorbike casualties across the region.

The Northern Echo: Motorcycle injuries by local authority 2011-15

Miss Keeler said she will never get over the death of her 28-year-old boyfriend.

The couple, who lived together for three years and had toddler, Harley, had so many plans, but now she and her son are facing a very different life without him.

“Chris was perfect. He was our whole life and in an instant he was gone,” she said.

“I don’t really see a future for myself now - I just focus on Harley. Without him I wouldn’t have been able to carry on.”

She said she wanted to back the safety campaign to save someone else having to experience the same pain.

"Chris loved riding and his bike was his pride and joy, so I would never tell people that they shouldn’t ride bikes, but they should take it easy and ride safely," she said.

The campaign has been launched after a 13 per cent increase in serious bike accidents in the region, with 15 bikers killed during 2015 alone in the North-East - with Mr Earl, a taxi driver, among them.

In North Yorkshire in 2015, the number of deaths involving motorbikes actually fell from 13 to 12 and those who were seriously injured reduced from 104 to 102.

On the day of the crash, Mr Earl had spent hours at home cleaning and maintaining his bike, while Miss Keeler and Harley played beside him on the drive.

Just before 6pm, he left to take his bike to his lock-up on a nearby industrial estate, but, for whatever reason, decided instead to carry on up Liverton Road. A couple of seconds later he was dead.

He had been speeding and was on the wrong side of the road when he hit the oncoming truck. He suffered massive injuries and was killed instantly.

Still playing outside, Miss Keeler and Harley watched as the air ambulance landed just outside the village – totally unaware it had been called for Chris.

She said: “Chris and I had been together since I was 15. He was all I knew and now I have no idea who I am anymore.

“Most nights I cry myself to sleep."

Chairman of Road Safety GB North East, Paul Watson, said bike accidents peaked between March and October, with the majority of motorcycle fatalities involving bikes over 500cc.

He appealed to all road-users to slow down and drive according to the conditions.