BRADLEY MARK HARRY HOOPER · Prevention of Future Deaths report

On 14 May 2014 I commenced an investigation into the death of BRADLEY MARK HARRY HOOPER aged 16 years. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 14 July 2015. The conclusion of the inquest was that he died due to multiple injuries caused by a motor collision and I recorded a conclusion of Accidental Death.

At about 10.28 on 11 May 2014 Bradley Hooper was riding a Honda motorbike in a club practice session at the motocross circuit at Down Farm Headbourne Worthy near Winchester. After mounting a flat topped jump near marshalling point 11, he came off his machine as the bike landed and was in the process of picking it up when he was struck from above by a Yamaha motorbike being ridden by another rider who had just gone over the same jump, but had no warning of his presence.

1. The evidence showed that the marshall at Point 11 had earlier been using his mobile phone to take photographs of passing riders and at the time of the incident was facing in the opposite direction to the direction of travel of the riders, so that he was unaware of Bradley Hooper coming off his machine and did not show a yellow flag until after the fatal collision. The MCF Code of Practice makes no reference to appropriate warnings which should be given to marshalls at briefings about the use of smartphones whilst practices or races are under way.
2. The marshall at Point 11 was aged 16 at the time of the incident and had only marshalled on one previous occasion. Although he claimed to have made this known to the Chief Marshall no action was taken to allocate him to a low risk position, notwithstanding the current club marshalling rules of Portsmouth Motocross Club which states that those aged 16-18 should be so allocated. Portsmouth Motocross Club should ensure that marshalls are allocated to positions based on the experience of each individual and that it should review its rules in light of the MCF Code of Practice (once that is updated) and its affiliation to MCF.