SCHOOLBOY Ben Goodlad has been surprised with a motorbike from the colleagues of his late policeman dad.
Road traffic Pc Mark Goodlad was tragically killed in October when he stopped to help a broken down motorist on the M1.
His son, Ben, 14, a pupil at Castle Hall School in Mirfield, was saving up for a bike and Pc Goodlad was planning to give him some extra money to buy it.
But after his untimely death the officer’s colleagues rallied round and fulfilled his plans.
They collected enough money to buy Ben a Stomp bike which he will ride on private farm land owned by step-mum Helen’s family.
West Yorkshire Police road traffic officers presented it to Ben at their Carr Gate, Wakefield, base.
Ben said: “My dad was into bikes and it was something we did together. He taught me to ride my first bike and I was saving up for this.
“I was a bit nervous on it the first time but I started getting the hang of it.”
Step-mum Helen added: “It’s been an horrendous time since Mark passed away but this has brought a smile to Ben’s face which is priceless.
“Mark was really into bikes and he got Ben into them, too, when he was about six, it was their thing together.
“We went to Carr Gate for a presentation to honour Mark and this was such a lovely surprise for Ben.
“It’s such a great thing for them to have done for Ben.
“My family have farmland near Selby and he’ll ride it on there. I was nervous watching him at first, I probably always will be, but he did really well.”
Pc Richard Clarke was one of Pc Goodlad’s colleagues and they both served as family liaison officers.
Pc Clarke, who serves the Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Halifax and Pontefract areas, said: “After Mark’s funeral Ben told us he was saving up for this bike and we got the idea then to do something for him.
“Mark was going to give Ben the rest he needed so we wanted to do just that. We raised enough to buy it so Ben didn’t need to use any of his own money and Dick Cartwright at DC Motorcycles gave it to us at cost and gave him some clothing too.
“Ben’s allowed to ride it on the private land Helen’s family have and we hope he enjoys it.”
Mr Cartwright of DC Motorcycles on Alder Street, Fartown, added: “I have a six-year-old son myself – bikes are something sons and dads do like it was for Mark and Ben, so I was happy to be able to help.”
Pc Goodlad’s funeral took place at Wakefield Cathedral with an honour guard of the officer’s colleagues. Ben carried his father’s white-topped police cap into the service.
