THE European championship dreams of a promising young BMX rider have crashed painfully to earth.

Danny Hart, eight, one of the UK's top young racers, was practising for yesterday's European BMX Championships in France when he fell off his bike and broke his collar bone.

The two-wheeled acrobat and racer, who has only been biking for six months, burst into tears when he was told of the severity of his injury.

He had been due to compete against the cream of Europe's under-nine racers until one of his stunts went wrong.

While perfecting a "dirt jump" at Redcar's R-Cade biking park, Danny fell badly. His father Paul ran to help him.

Neither realised any bones were broken, but Danny could not move his arm and it was soon clear the trip to France was off. However, he should be fit again in six weeks, in time to qualify for next year's world championships, in Kentucky.

Mr Hart, of Overdale Close, Redcar, said: "Poor Danny is very disappointed."