A SMALL community was left in shock yesterday following the death of a teenager in a moped accident.

Police last night named the victim as 16-year-old Luke Casson, of Hutton Henry, east Durham.

The Year 11 pupil at St Hild's Church of England School, in Hartlepool, died after apparently being thrown from his bike and striking a lamp post while riding along Front Street, through Hutton Henry.

The teenager suffered serious head injuries and was certified dead on arrival at North Tees Hospital, in Stockton.

The accident took place on an open stretch of road, at the eastern end of the village, near the Plough Inn pub, shortly after 6.30pm on Saturday.

It is believed the moped veered into the nearside kerb and no other vehicles were involved.

The road was closed for three hours while the initial police investigation took place.

Residents living near the scene described how they dashed out to attend Luke.

The first man to reach the teenager was retired teacher Nick Pain.

He said he was talking to friends, a retired police officer and his wife, at his front door when the moped came down the road travelling east.

He said: "I was facing the house, but my friend and his wife were looking out and saw him cross from the opposite side of the road onto the correct side when a car approached.

"My friend said the rider seemed to lose control as he came onto the left side of the road and never got back in control.

"He hit the kerb and it threw him into the air. It just happened he was thrown into the lamp post.

"If it had been either side he might have survived.

Mr Pain added: "The moped veered off and came to rest off the other side of the road.

"I dashed down and found him lying there. I'm a first-aider and I tried talking to him to see if there was any response, but he was unconscious.

"Other people were quickly on the scene and one of them was a nurse, so I left it to her."

A woman living nearby said she had seen the moped being driven along the road several times in recent weeks and recognised the rider's distinctive Union Flag helmet.

Linda Mason, licensee at the Plough Inn, said the accident had left everyone stunned, particularly the young people of the village, several of whom left floral tributes at the scene.

"We're a small village and a lot of the local children are really cut up by it," she added.

Police investigators have appealed for information from other witnesses who either saw the accident or the moped being ridden on the road shortly before the accident.

They are asked to contact Sergeant Phil Grieve, of the force's road policing unit, on 0345-60-60-365.