A RECKLESS motorcyclist who crashed into a car while travelling at eye-watering speeds had to have his leg amputated.

Zac Bull and his 14-year-old pillion passenger, who was not wearing a helmet, were both flung across Padiham Road in Burnley when the motorbike they were on collided with a car emerging from a side street.

Bull had to have his leg amputated, with his passenger also sustaining serious injuries, including a fractured hip.

Camera footage shown to Preston Crown Court revealed how Bull had sped through a red traffic light, narrowly missing a pedestrian, moments before the crash.

The 26-year-old, who was charged with dangerous driving, was riding an unregistered off-road bike on the roads of Burnley with a second rider, who also had a pillion passenger, when the incident occurred.

Prosecuting, Wayne Jackson described how witnesses had seen the two bikes around the area in the time leading up to the incident, reaching estimated speeds of 80mph on the 30mph stretch of road.

He said: “The lady involved was driving a black Ford Fiesta and was waiting on Barry Street to turn onto Padiham Road.

“She recalls seeing a motorcycle going past as she was waiting at the junction and recalls it being very noisy. In her words she said, ‘It was some idiot speeding down the road.’ With the road seemingly clear, the driver started to pull out when Bull appeared ‘out of nowhere’.

One witness was waiting to turn onto Padiham Road from another side street on the opposite side of the road, seeing the first motorbike approach at a ‘very fast speed’.

Mr Jackson said: “He decided to wait and let that motorcycle go. Once it had gone and he saw nothing on the road, he looked at the woman in the Fiesta as though to suggest she should move out first.

“He saw her edge out and it was only then he noticed the second motorcycle coming down the road.

“In his statement he said this: ‘The bike came out of nowhere. One second it wasn’t there and the next it was coming towards us.’ “He saw the bike hit the top of her car and a person being thrown in the air towards his vehicle. He said he closed his eyes and heard a bang.

“He then turned off the engine and got out of his vehicle and went to the front of his car. He saw a male on the floor screaming in pain.”

Other witness statements from the scene describe both men being flung in the air in opposite directions.

Defending, Philip Holden said that Bull had no similar antecedents and had shown genuine remorse to the author of the pre-sentence report.

He said: “While there may be an element of deterrent sentencing that the court has in mind, I do ask your honour to bear in mind that this is a defendant who is very unlikely to be in trouble moving forward.”

Jailing Bull, of Straight Mile Court, for 27 months, Judge Andrew Jefferies QC said “On March 15, 2019, you rode a motorcycle dangerously on urban town streets and caused serious injury – that’s the one count to which you entered a guilty plea.

“What seemed to have happened is that you attended a local quarry where you were entitled to drive your uninsured, unregistered bike.

“For some reason you left the quarry and drove on public roads. You collected a 14-year-old child and he joined you as you continued driving on roads as a pillion passenger.

“On my understanding there was no MOT, no insurance, you only held a provisional licence, and the bike was showing no plates.

“This was a busy time of the day, in a urban street with a 30mph limit. The consequences of the collision were that you have lost your leg – a life changing injury.

“The child received multiple fractures, including his hip, finger and hand. He appears to be making good recovery, but will no doubt have long term physical effects.”