A MOTORCYCLIST who ‘risked the life’ of a young girl by letting her ride on his bike without a helmet has been branded ‘reckless and scandalous’.

Shocking footage showed the blonde primary schoolgirl perched in front of the biker as he rode through Great Harwood during rush hour.

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The £1,500 dirt bike, complete with learner plates, was followed by a concerned motorist with a camera until it stopped outside a house in St Hubert’s Road where the youngster, dressed in her school uniform, climbed off.

Shocked John Gray, who shot the footage, drove straight to the town’s police station and reported it. Police are now investigating.

Yesterday the video had been seen by nearly 40,000 people on Facebook, with community leaders calling for the biker, who was riding a 2015 plate 125cc Lexmoto Adrenaline, to be punished.

Hyndburn MP and a dad-of-two Graham Jones saw the video before being contacted by the Lancashire Telegraph.

He said: “It is shocking that an adult would put the life of a youngster in jeopardy like this.

“To put a child that age, 10 or even younger I would say, at risk like this is scandalous behaviour.

“To fall off a motorbike at 30mph without a helmet on would almost certainly result in death.

“This motorist needs to be spoken to quickly about his responsibilities, but also about the fact he has broken the law.

“It was very dangerous, very reckless, and he put somebody’s life at risk.”

Mr Gray said the four minute long clip was filmed at around 5pm on Friday after he spotted the motorcyclist’s reckless behaviour.

A camera mounted in his van filmed the motorbike as it worked its way through the town centre and towards St Hubert’s Road.

The red, white and black bike appears to drive within the speed limit and indicates for each turn it makes, but it later becomes clear there are actually two people on it, with the little girl sat just behind the handlebars.

The Road Traffic Act 1988 states: “On all journeys, the rider and pillion passenger on a motorcycle, scooter or moped must wear a protective helmet.

“Provisional licence holders must not carry a pillion passenger.

Council leader Miles Parkinson said the video was the talk of the town.

The former firefighter said: “To go through the town centre and on a main road like this lacks common sense of any kind, and the risk to himself, the child, and other people is quite frankly frightening.

“He knows the motorbike should only be for one person. This is not the way any responsible person should act.”

Former Great Harwood councillor Ian Robinson, who stood for UKIP in the town during this month’s earlier local election, also shared the video.

He said: “There are lots of incidents like this happening all over Great Harwood.

“This little girl could have been killed.”

Nobody at the home in St Hubert’s Road could be reached for a comment yesterday, while Great Harwood Police Station was also closed.

However, a police spokeswoman said: “We are aware of the footage and are making further enquiries to identify the motorcycle’s rider.”