A NORTH-EAST boy is dreaming of becoming world BMX champion after he competed in his first international finals in the US.

Nine-year-old Danny Hart, from Redcar, touched the hearts of people in the region when he fought back from serious injury to represent his country in last week's World BMX Championships.

Danny was out of action for eight weeks when he broke his collar bone but experts in the BMX world are still predicting a glittering career ahead for him.

Home from the competition in Kentucky, Danny is recovering from jet lag.

Unfortunately he failed to make it through to the finals, but his mother , Sue, said he gave a sterling performance as one of 1,800 young riders.

"He did everything right and it was a fantastic experience for him and he knows he has still got a lot to learn - he is only nine and the competition was very steep.

"He was absolutely devastated that he didn't get through to the finals. He was so upset and we didn't know what to say to him but the Americans were just so much better.

"He even swapped shirts with a lad from Ecuador who wants to keep in touch with him. The cultural experiences for him were great."

His experiences have made Danny all the more determined to do better in the world championships in Brazil next year.