Express & Star

Stunt biker Josh Turner fears losing his rating after being branded a nuisance for practising in Wolverhampton

A top stunt motorcyclist is in danger of losing his UK No 2 status after being banned from using his practice ground at a car park in the Black Country.

Published

Josh Turner has been revealed as the rider turning heads at Shaw Road car park in Bushbury, Wolverhampton, as featured in last week's Express & Star.

We reported that the police had put a stop to the displays on nuisance and safety grounds following complaints from local businesses and residents.

Now the rising star, who has wowed competition crowds all over the country with his exhibitions of wheelies, stoppies and drifting, is desperate to find a new place to train.

Car mechanic Josh took up stunt riding seven years ago but says finding locations to practice is difficult. Last week he was filmed performing stunts in Shaw Road by a police officer who put the footage online with a warning that public land was not to be used for stunt riding.

Josh said: "I don't blame the police, they're just doing their job and to be fair, I've used the car park for quite a while and they've not said anything, so there's no hard feelings.

"It's just a shame that residents have complained. If they'd come to me, I'd have kept the rpms down a little bit.

"I've put on a quieter exhaust but there's not a lot else I can do.

"I think the real problem is that drivers pull up on the roadside to watch and that can cause traffic problems."

The 32-year-old, who lives in Whitmore Reans with girlfriend Monika Koch, 22, the country's top female stunt rider, tries to practice every day after finishing work at his father's garage nearby.

He had to park up the 600cc Yamaha R6 for two months last year when he broke his coccyx during a stunt and doctors told him to stay off the bike.

He said: "It's not as dangerous as it looks because most of the stunts are performed at relatively low speeds.

"I also wear a spine protector under my hoodie as well as a helmet and gloves. The worst you can do is break a bone, like an arm or a leg or, in my case, the coccyx.

"I did it jumping on to the seat while doing a wheelie and trying to put my legs over the handlebars. "Unfortunately my feet hit the bars and my coccyx hit the edge of the fuel tank. I was back at work the next door but I couldn't ride the bike."

Josh, who was a keen BMX biker, was inspired to get his first bike after watching videos of stunt riders on line.

He went to Santa Pod Raceway in Northampton for a closer look and became hooked.

He said: "The point is no one can teach you the tricks, it's all self-taught and down to a lot of practice."

Sgt Gavin Plumridge, of Bushbury and Oxley police, told the Express & Star: "We've received a number of complaints from local businesses and residents about this bike using the car park to practice stunts.

"Complaints have been about noise nuisance, anti-social behaviour and marks left on the tarmac.

"People are also concerned about safety.

"My officers took the video to show the rider and advise him about his behaviour," he said.

Aware that neighbours might not appreciate his high-rev tricks, Josh has already asked various firms with suitable premises whether he can use their land but without success.

A friend in Telford allows him to train on his business premises but Josh says it's a long way to go on a regular basis.

"It's a bit small but I do use it at the weekends sometimes. It's a shame because the Shaw Lane car park is ideal. It's mainly used on match days and is mostly empty on weekday evenings.

"The European riders we compete against don't seem to have this problem in their countries and the top UK rider Lee Bowers is allowed to train at Santa Pod Raceway where a lot of the competitions are held. Finding a place to practice is a growing problem."

Anyone who can provide a practice track for Josh can contact him on his Facebook page.

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.