Bradford boy, 9, sets land speed record

A nine-year-old boy has set a motorbike land speed world record.

Alfie Barraclough clocked a speed of 54.392mph in a 500m standing start drag race - the first record for someone of his age on an 80cc bike.

Alfie, from Bradford, completed the challenge at Elvington Airfield near York on Wednesday on his specially built motorcycle.

His dad Karl Barraclough said: "It's an achievement and as parents we are just so proud of him."

The youngster started riding on his eighth birthday, his dad said.

Mr Barraclough works as a fireman and paramedic at speed events and said that Alfie decided to have a go after watching races from the side-lines.

Alfie said: "It's just fun. I first started on a little mini motor that was electric and I just carried on levelling up until I got to this."

He said that in the future he wanted to "get really fast" and also "become an engineer and build crazy stuff".

Mum Lexie Barraclough said she was "very proud".

"He goes out and he does the best he can every time," she said.

"I'm a bit scared because he looks up to a lot of the bigger riders and he wants to do wheelies and he wants to go in the 200mph club, but also with him wanting to be an engineer it's nice to know that he wants to build them and potentially do other records."

Motorbike designer David Taylor said young motorcyclists were able to move up a class each year as a result of their age.

"It's fast and you forget sometimes, but they are pretty safe, there's lots of things in place for them and they wear all the right safety gear."

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