Teenage motocross rider Patrick Stott from Marlborough is gravely ill in hospital after breaking his neck while taking part in a regional championship meeting on Sunday.

Details of his crash while competing in the Fast Track Racing support championship meeting at the Elvetham circuit near Basingstoke are not known.

Patrick, 18, was left lying on the track and was moved by first aiders who, it is understood, did not know the severity of his injury.

It is believed that as well as breaking the third vertebra in his neck and damaging his spinal cord he also suffered some brain demage because of oxygen starvation.

A Hampshire county ambulance took him to Basingstoke Hospital but he was transferred to a specialist neurological unit at Southampton General Hospital where his parents Andy and Sarah are at his bedside.

Dozens of get well messages have appeared on the Fecbook web site. One from a friend called Craig said: "Get well soon buddy!! Keep fighting!" and one from a girl friend called Jade said: "I love you Patrick, so hard not having you here with me as usual! Come on and get better." Another from Andy said: "Come on Patrick we're all thinking of you bud. Get better soon, we all know you can pull through this."