This was the moment when motorcyclist Neil de Jersey had to run for his life after his motorbike caught fire during a burnout competition at Saturday’s Hogwash. He needed hospital treatment for burns but the other rider, Colin Help, still sitting on his machine, was uninjured. (Picture by Andrew Le Poidevin, 0813549)

A BURNOUT competition went up in flames at the Hogwash on Saturday.

Motorcyclist Neil de Jersey had to jump for his life when his bike caught fire during the annual event organised by the Full Boar Motorcycle Club.

Spectators gasped as his bike went up in flames seconds after he won the event.

Organisers raced into the arena with fire extinguishers to tackle the blaze, which was started by an oil leak.

The 43-year-old butcher, who was taken to the Princess Elizabeth Hospital with burns to his legs, did not realise his bike was on fire.

‘I was just about to ride off and someone shouted, “your bike is on fire,” and I just jumped. The bike just went up after that,’ said the first time burnout champion, speaking after hospital treatment, whose performance is now already the stuff of legend.

‘As far as I was concerned it was all over, but clearly it wasn’t,’ he said.

Mr de Jersey said he’d have to ‘have a look’ at his Yamaha FZR, thought to be worth approximately £1,500, to see if it could be saved.

The crowd were screaming encouragement at Mr de Jersey’s opponent, Colin Help, as his bike, a GSXR 1340, also caught fire.

The full-time single parent to daughters Alaska, 11, and 13-year-old Amber, took part in the burnout two years ago and said his performances were always ‘lively’.