IT was the ultimate sporting accessory ofthe 1980s.

BMX was cycling with attitude; it required a crash helmet, you could do gravity-defying stunts, wheelies were a legitimate sporting accomplishment and, best of all, you got muddy.

Now a recognised extremesport, the BMX boom began in California in the 1960s.

Soon tracks began to spring up across the US, to the delight of an army of teenage boys, hungry for a low-cost competitive sport.

Interest in BMX exploded in the 1970s and the craze swept across Europe.

By 1982 BMX had its own international federation and a world championship competition circuit.

Daily Echo:

This picture from the Daily Echo archives, taken June 19, 1984, shows young BMX enthusiasts with PC Graham Stanton in Lordshill.