A motorcross rider in Bristol suffered shoulder, back and rib injuries after being thrown from his bike 10ft in the air.

The man, believed to be in his 40s, had to be carried almost a mile through steep woodland by paramedics to a waiting ambulance following the incident in Hanham.

He was taking part in an organised time trial near The Chequers pub on Sunday when the handlebars of his bike caught a branch, catapulting him into a tree. The incident happened towards the end of the motocross event that involved about 40 riders covering six sections.

Critical care paramedic Andy Weston, from the Great Western Air Ambulance, arrived at the scene by car shortly after noon, but could only reach the patient on foot.

Mr Weston assessed the rider's condition and administered morphine at the scene of the incident, before a back-up ambulance crew arrived with a vacuum mattress to carry him to the ambulance.

He said: "He was at the highest part of the course and the furthest away from the road and car park. We carried our kit to the scene so we could assess the patient, who was not knocked out and was conscious throughout."

The rider, who has not been named, was then re-assessed and given more pain relief in the ambulance before being taken to Frenchay Hospital for further treatment.

● Hundreds of thousands of motorbike enthusiasts will descend on Weston-super-Mare this weekend for the annual Weston Beach Race.

The event begins on Friday with mini-bike racing and a welcome party in the afternoon with a bar, live music and karaoke.

On Saturday there are youth quad and solo races, before the adults take to the dunes course for the combined quad and sidecar showdown.

Flyin' Ryan Griffiths will make an attempt on the world record for the longest jump on a motorcycle.

The main solo race, with some of the best names in the sport, will end the weekend on Sunday.