ANDOVER mother Mandy Bulpitt says her son is lucky to be alive after colliding with a car while not wearing his cycle helmet.

Gary, aged 15, escaped serious injury when he was involved in the accident on Pilgrims Way, prompting Mrs Bulpitt to urge all cyclists to wear helmets.

"He is very lucky to be alive and from now on he will definitely be wearing a helmet.

"I still see people going past my house without helmets and I want to tell them they must wear them because they might not be so lucky as my son was," she said.

Gary, from River Way, is recovering from facial injuries and stomach pains. He remembers very little about the accident.

Police would like to speak to anyone who saw the accident on Pilgrims Way at around 5.25pm on Tuesday 18 May.

The Andover Advertiser 'Be Safe, Wear a Helmet' campaign works to spread the message that wearing a helmet reduces the risk of head injury by 80 per cent.