Medical staff at Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital have told Stuart Easton's wife Claire they are gobsmacked at how tough the little Scotsman.

The Hawick rider was moved from Coleraine last Thursday night after suffering horrendous injuries in a Northwest 200 practice crash. Although Easton remains in ICU, he was taken off his ventilator on Sunday and will undergo a further operation on his leg and pelvis on Friday.

“Stuart is having his op on Friday, maybe even earlier if they feel he’s up to it. Fingers crossed. He wants to sleep a lot so his body recovers. They were thinking of moving him onto a ward today but we feel happier if they kept him where he was in intensive care," said Claire.

"The bruising is all starting to come out, he will be black and blue by the end of the week! They are really happy with his progress and gobsmacked by how strong and tough he is!”