Young people who would never normally get the chance to take part in motorcycle sport have been given the chance to enjoy the thrills and spills of off-road riding.

Five teams from motorcycle projects as far afield as London took part in a series of events organised on a downland course at Aston Tirrold, near Didcot.

They included nine youngsters from the Abingdon Motorcycle Project, which organised the event.

The day included trials-type competitions - testing riders' control skills - and tests designed to check participants mechanical skills.

Other challenges included a competition where teams had to complete a mechanical task against the clock.

Giles Shearing, co-ordinator of the day-long challenge, said: "The aim of the event was to give young people between 12 and 14 the chance to take part in motorcycle sport which may normally be inaccessible to them."

The event was supported by motorcycle businesses, which helped provide machines, safety clothing and equipment.

A highlight of the day was a demonstration of off-road riding by former UK motocross champion Leigh Lewis of Motormania UK and 13-year-old Bryn Thomas Jnr.

The successful Abingdon Motorcycle Project, which is run one day a week at the Net Youth Centre, caters for young people from different backgrounds, including youngsters referred by the probation service and social services.

It is run by Mr Shearing and youth worker Steve Boardman, and is supported by a cash grant of £2,500 from the local community safety steering group.

The group includes Thames Valley Police, which provides the Abingdon project with written-off machines, recovered from the Thames and other sources.

Project members repair and rebuild the machines as part of their training.

Mr Shearing said the project had been extremely successful.

He said there had been moves to establish similar motorcycle projects at Oxford and at Didcot - but finding funding had proved a major difficulty.

Mr Shearing said: "In London where the value of motorcycle projects is appreciated, they receive funding of up to £50,000-a-year for equipment and training."