A FATHER who had a passion for motorbikes tragically died after taking one last ride on a bike he was selling.

Anthony Draper, was only 29 when he died on April 18 this year after crashing the motorbike on Rutland Road in Tyldesley.

An inquest into his death was held at Bolton Coroners Court this week.

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The court heard Mr Draper collapsed following the crash and was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene.

In a statement read out at the inquest, Mr Draper's mother, Jennifer Draper, said how her son "always wanted to ride bikes", starting with pedal bikes and then moving onto motorbikes. She said he had an "obsession" with motorbikes.

Ms Draper described how he enjoyed spending time with friends who were all involved with bikes and that it "became the focus of his life".

Evidence from Jodie Newcombe, Mr Draper's partner and mother of his two children, was also read out at the inquest.

The two had been together for nine years. She also told of his love of motorbikes in her statement and that he "had been riding them from a very young age".

Ms Newcombe said Mr Draper was selling his KTM motorbike at his home on Rutland Road.

She said in her statement: "He had arranged for someone to come and have a look at his bike."

She saw the man who wanted to buy the bike riding it and said in her statement he then asked Mr Draper if he would like to have "one last ride" of it.

Ms Newcombe said: "Ant got on the bike without a helmet", which she said was unusual for him.

She continued: "He rode off down Rutland Road and pulled a wheelie as he set off."

He then turned around and began riding back towards the house.

As he was riding towards the house, he pulled a wheelie but then lost control of the bike.

Ms Newcombe described how he "looked like he was being dragged along" by it, before crashing into a wall.

She said she saw him stand up after the crash, but then collapse. Emergency services were called.

Paramedic Luca Alfatti attended the address after the crash.

In his statement he said he "did an assessment of a male who was in the road."

He was aware that CPR had been carried out, but made the decision that to continue it would be futile. He pronounced Mr Draper dead at the scene.

Dr David Barker, a pathologist at Royal Albert Hospital in Wigan, gave his cause of death as multiple injuries.

He also made reference to a toxicology report which found cocaine and cannabis in his blood, but that it was "not possible to say whether the drugs would have had an impact on his death".

Concluding, Coroner Prof Alan Walsh gave the cause of Mr Draper's death as a result of a road traffic collision.

Prof Walsh said: "He was offered one last ride, one which was to be fatal. He rode up the road and I accept that he undertook a wheelie manoeuvre.

"This caused him to lose control. CCTV evidence shows he did lose control and he then collided with a gatepost which caused him to suffer unsurvivable injuries."

He also accepted Dr Barker's medical cause of death. 

Tributes poured in following the tragic death, with Mr Draper's mother paying tribute.

Ms Draper stated at the time: "He was an amazing son, dad, brother, boyfriend, nephew and cousin. You will be greatly missed by all that knew you. No day will ever be the same without you.

"Love you my son. RIP."