A mother has hit out at police who refused to go after thieves who stole her sons' motorbikes - because the pair were not wearing helmets.

Pauline Nolan, from Droylsden, Greater Manchester, said officers told her they could not pursue the offenders in case they fell off and sued them.

Mrs Nolan, 44, said: "It's outrageous, I couldn't believe what I was hearing."

Greater Manchester Police said officers needed to consider the safety of all road users before deciding to pursue.

But Mrs Nolan said she was not satisfied with the response of the force. She said her sons, Bradley, 11, and Ashley, 18, were devastated by the loss of the bikes.

She said: "Everything in this country is weighted towards the criminals, what about the victims?"

Mrs Nolan was driving home when she spotted two teenagers driving past her on her sons' motocross bikes.

She contacted police, who told her they had also spotted the bikes but were not allowed to go after them.

"He said if there was an accident and they were injured then the thieves would sue the police," said Mrs Nolan.

"I didn't know what to say, I think even the policeman was embarrassed."

Insp Martin O'Connor, from Greater Manchester Police, said: "In situations like this, officers need to carefully consider the safety of all road users before deciding whether or not it would be appropriate to begin a pursuit.

"This means taking into account the time of day as well as the prevailing weather and traffic conditions and the nature of the original offence and make a risk assessment based on all these circumstances.

"In this case, the decision was made it would not have been safe to pursue the bikes."

Although the bikes were stolen two weeks ago they remain missing and anyone who has seen them are asked to contact police.

They are an orange and black KTM 250 and a black and green Kawasaki 65, which are worth £7,000.

This is the only way that pursuit policies will be changed is if members of the public get up in arms about the way that we don't pursue anymore.

As far as I am concerned those officers made the right choice. It is simply not worth the stress, our jobs, our possessions or our lives to pursue someone anymore.

Over here our Union actively encourages us not to pursue due to the risk of litigation and the fact that we are not protected if something goes wrong in the pursuit.

I think the questions you always have to ask before pursing are

Is it worth my job?
Is it worth the stress of an investigation?
Is it worth my or someone elses life?