A LIVELY teenager has been given a gift which will help his learning skills and provide plenty of fun.

Adam Foulkes, aged 13, has been given a specially made red tricycle by the children's charity, Whizz-Kidz.

The youngster, from Westhoughton, has become a well known character in the town thanks to his regular trips to the United States where he benefits from therapy to help his speech and concentration.

His mother, Diana Foulkes, has tirelessly raised funds to collect enough cash to pay for Adam, who was born with Down's Syndrome, to visit Key Largo in Florida where he enjoys swimming with dolphins.

But the teenager, who is a pupil at Two Porches School in Atherton, cannot go swimming until next year following an operation for an ear infection.

Mrs Foulkes, aged 41, was keen to find something to keep him occupied over the winter months and applied for help from Whizz-Kidz which aims to give mobility to non-mobile children.

She is especially thrilled that the bike is red as Adam, who has an older sister, Kelli, aged 17, and younger brother, eight-year-old Louis, is a Manchester United fan.

She said: "The bike is really good for Adam's muscle tone and he was so excited when he saw it.

"The bike has been made especially for him and would have cost a lot of money, so we're really grateful for the help of Whizz-Kidz."