A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD scooter boy is set to test himself against the best competitors in the country next month after winning a recent event.

Lleyton Crawford, who is a regular attender at the Unit23 skatepark in Dumbarton, has already competed in three major events – at Just Ramps skatepark in Wolverhampton in June, where he came eighth, at Unit23 in August, where he came third, and at the ScootGB Scottish qualifier at Transgression Park in Edinburgh at the end of October.

Finishing in first place in the under-eight novice category at the event in the capital, Lleyton will be in the final on December 12 at Adrenaline Alley in Corby, where he will compete against other talented youngsters from across the UK.

Lleyton and another young rider are the only two competitors from Scotland in their category - and Lleyton’s mum, Hazel, said her little star is a natural in the up-and-coming extreme sport.

She said: “Lleyton started scootering just over two years ago now just by chance as I had taken him to a BMX event that day and we were late, so we couldn’t attend that session.

“We were at the BMX track in Knightswood and there is a concrete skate/bike park there. Because we missed the slot the guy from the place gave us a scooter to mess about with and Lleyton loved it.

“There were actually two police officers that passed that day and asked me how long he had been riding and I said it was the first time he had been on a two wheel scooter. He was only five at the time.”

Lleyton, a pupil in P3 at Colgrain Primary School in Helensburgh, attends Unit23 regularly but is hoping for a better skatepark closer to home after the Helensburgh facility was removed in January as part of building work on the town’s waterfront.

Hazel added: “Lleyton used to love going to Helensburgh skatepark before it got taken away and like a lot of the kids in Helensburgh is looking forward to it returning.

“We would all love if it could be a concrete park in Helensburgh as that would last for future generations and would save us having to travel to many places for a whole day of scootering at other concrete parks around Scotland.

“Lleyton goes to Unit23 in Dumbarton three times a week and has met many up and coming scooter friends there.”