An insured biker, who is critically ill after a crash in Thailand, cannot have his medical bill settled by his insurance company because it claimed he did not have bike insurance.

Ryan Burke fractured his skull when he had a crash on his 80cc early last month. He was afterwards taken to a hospital in Patawa, on the Thai mainland. Reports said the 21-year-old man was recovering from his injuries when he contracted viral meningitis and was later diagnosed with the more serious bacterial strain of the illness.

Although he is insured with AA, when his family contacted the insurance company it argued that Mr Burke was not insured to ride a motorcycle and declined to pay out. But his mother said the insurance company was refusing to pay out because her son only has a provisional licence in the UK.

“As far as we are aware you can ride a bike, as long as it is under 125cc, without having a full licence,” she added.