Road safety campaigners warned yesterday of the dangers of mini-motorbikes after a Scottish schoolboy became the latest child to die while riding one illegally.

Road safety campaigners warned yesterday of the dangers of mini-motorbikes after a Scottish schoolboy became the latest child to die while riding one illegally.

Wayne Shaw was killed when he drove into the path of an oncoming car just around the corner from his home in Sauchie, near Alloa.

The 13-year-old motocross fanatic had only had the 110cc Yamaha mini- motocross machine for a few weeks when he went out on it without telling his parents.

He crashed into an oncoming Vauxhall Astra after taking his eye off the road to wave to some friends.

His parents rushed to the scene but he died in his father's arms after suffering serious head injuries.

Father Frank, 41, who cradled his son as he stopped breathing, said: "When I got there he was unconscious. When he stopped breathing, it felt like someone had ripped my heart out. The paramedics and hospital staff did their best to revive him but the doctors told us he would have died instantly when his head hit the car."

He added: "I would always tell him to make sure to put on his crash helmet and to make sure he put safety first if he was going to ride his bike. But he had sneaked out on it without telling us."

Wayne's mother, June, 44, said: "We are all absolutely devastated. I have never felt as bad as this before in my life. It is horrible to lose a son. I have not been able to stop crying since it happened.

"He was a really popular boy. Everyone knew and liked him. He was the youngest of our four kids and he was the baby of the family. We'd give anything to have him back."

Earlier this year it was reported that six-year-old Kane Small died while riding a friend's "mini-moto" near Birmingham.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents yesterday urged parents to think carefully before buying one of the bikes for their child.

Spokeswoman Jo Stagg said: "Our advice to parents who are thinking of getting a mini-motorbike for their children is to make sure that they have somewhere safe to ride it. It is illegal to ride them on public roads, and you can only ride them on private land with the landowner's permission."

She added that, if used properly and ridden at dedicated tracks, they were perfectly safe.

However, Mr Shaw said that he had had to take his son to a local quarry because there were no such facilities in their area: "If there was a proper track the kids would not be riding in the street."

Football shirts, flags and dozens of floral tributes were left at the scene over the weekend by family and friends after the crash on Friday afternoon.

Police have appealed for witnesses to the accident, which took place at 5.20pm at the junction of Gartmorn Road and Keilars Brae.

The 60-year-old driver of the car was uninjured.