Mr Brunstrom said the images were shown in confidence

Images of Mark Gibney, 40, from Merseyside, were shown at a road safety briefing held by North Wales Police.

Chief constable Richard Brunstrom has been criticised for using the pictures, but claimed some sections of the media had presented a "distorted" view.

But William Gibney, 64, said Mr Brunstrom's actions were "appalling".

He added that he had tried his best to keep details of his son's horrific injuries from much of the family - but now everybody knew following publicity over the pictures.

Mark Gibney was killed when his bike crashed on a bend on the B5105 between Cerrigydrudion and Ruthin in 2003.

The idea that a chief constable can display images of a dead person without first consulting the family is completely unethical MP Bob Wareing

Pictures of Mr Gibney - including one showing his head in his helmet, eyes open - were shown to journalists and road safety experts during a briefing.

North Wales Police has admitted it did not seek permission from the family to use the images, but would not comment further.

William Gibney said he could "never forgive" Mr Brunstrom for using the pictures, adding: "He should be sacked.

"What he has done is totally outrageous and trying to blame journalists is nonsense.

"He's publicity-mad and what he has done to this family is appalling, and it won't have saved a single life.

"Our phones haven't stopped ringing. We just can't believe he could do this."

Mr Brunstrom has been criticised by MPs and his former deputy for using the images.

Harrowing

But, writing in his weblog, he said those attending the anti-speeding briefing on Thursday had been warned in writing they would be "briefly exposed to harrowing images".

The invitations to the media had said the images "were not, are not and will not be released into the public domain - a point emphasised verbally during the meeting," he wrote.

"They were included as a minor part of the presentation to counter the continuing tendency in some sections of our society to trivialise road death."

He said compassion was a "fundamental plank" of police plans and those involved cared "deeply" about reducing road deaths "precisely because we are daily called to face scenes such as those shown briefly, and in confidence, to this invited audience".

Mr Brunstrom accused a "small section" of the media of distorting the meeting "for their own purposes".

He said it was they who had "avoidably and unnecessarily added to the grief of relatives."

Bob Wareing, Labour MP for the West Derby area of Liverpool, said he was very concerned, and had contacted the Home Secretary John Reid about the matter.

"Completely unethical"

"The idea that a chief constable can display images of a dead person without first consulting the family is completely unethical," he told BBC Radio Five Live.

The motorcyclist was not named during Mr Brunstrom's presentation but details of his distinctive T-shirt, which bore an anti-police message, were given.

The T-shirt received widespread publicity during his inquest, and effectively identified him to journalists.

Martyn Jones, MP for Clwyd South, has called for Mr Brunstrom to consider his position, adding: "To use these images in this manner was a contentious decision in itself.

"To go ahead and use them in a public forum without the consent of Mr Gibney's family, was cruel and disrespectful as it has re-opened the family grief, in horrific detail."

A former North Wales deputy chief constable, Bill Brereton, said the decision to use the pictures was "ill-advised and ill-considered".

He added it showed "no respect whatsoever for the dead, nor for the grieving families".