BOSSES at the firm which owns a racetrack where a teenage motorcyclist fell to his death have admitted neglecting their duty of care at the site.

Rossendale Council brought the prosecution against Cowm Leisure Ltd after Matthew Entwistle, 16, died of multiple injuries when he was flung from his 125cc bike and fell around 50 feet down a ravine at Whitworth’s Cowm Quarry in August 2006.

Representatives of Cowm Leisure pleaded guilty to a charge of failure to discharge duty of care at the site at Burnley Crown Court on Monday.

During a two-day inquest, held in front of a jury last year, the court heard that Matthew, of Rochdale Road, Brittania, had ridden the unique Enduro track, which recently changed direction from anti-clockwise to clockwise.

Signage at the quarry was said to have been inadequate and there had not been sufficient risk assessments carried out, the inquest heard.

The inquest was also told how inexperienced marshall Paul Calverley was left in control of the teenagers even though it was his first day working at the quarry Cowm Leisure was criticised by the jury for having a ‘lack of policies, procedures and manage-ment’ in place at the site.

After the inquest, coroner Richard Taylor, who returned a narrative verdict, was thanked by Matthew’s family for revealing the circumstances of his son’s death. Directors of Cowm Leisure John Whittle and Darren Coy declined to comment.

Yesterday Matthew’s family confirmed that they had been contacted by Rossendale Council and were aware of the prosecution.

Cowm Leisure will be sentenced at Burnley Crown Court next month.