TWO teenagers who splashed out on the latest motoring craze have been forced off the road -- because they cannot find anybody to insure their gopeds.

Damien Short, 18, and his brother, Adrian,17, bought a £450 goped each at Christmas, thinking they would soon be riding around Blackburn on the 25mph scooters.

But within weeks of getting their new vehicles -- which are advertised as a solution to pollution and Traffic congestion -- the teenagers were stopped by police, who wanted to know if they were insured and taxed and demanded to know if they had an MOT.

"It is ridiculous," said mum Elaine, of Hertford Street, Mill Hill. They literally just comprise a throttle and a brake. What's more, nobody locally insures them."

Damien and Adrian bought the machines from Livesey Service Station, Blackburn.

The teenagers say the vehicles have been officially classified in the same category as mopeds -- which means they need an MOT, insurance and tax disc.

Now the youngsters are relying on more conventional forms of transport after a ring-round of local insurers drew a blank. Elaine added: "People won't insure them, you get laughed at when you ask if someone will MOT them and we cannot tax them because they don't have a licence plate.

"We are in a Catch 22 situation. The lads are angry because they have spent so much money on something they can't use because the classification has changed.

"The only place they can ride them now is near to Mill Hill Social Club. They didn't buy them to ride around on a car park or on grass. They want to go places on them."

Livesey Service Station said they had received no notification about the change of classification for gopeds.

A spokesman at Accrington police traffic unit said: "Under the Road Traffic Act, because they are mechanically propelled and specifically designed for use on a road, people need to register gopeds and have insurance, tax and an MOT certificate."

Suzanne Moore, spokeswoman for the Association of British Insurers, said: "Companies are probably unwilling to provide cover because the drivers are young or it is not the kind of insurance they usually provide.

"The best thing to do would be to contact an insurance broker who will have an in depth knowledge of the market."

She advised people to contact the British Insurance Brokers' Association on 0207 6239043.

Damien and his mum are pictured with the goped.