A VILLAGE came to a standstill on Tuesday when a convoy of motorcyclists joined fellow mourners to give enthusiast Michael Spencer a fitting send-off.

The 27-year-old engineer from Astley died nine days earlier in a mystery crash.

Michael was killed when his "ultimate" R1 Yamaha, left the road and smashed through a fence during a Sunday spin to North Wales with a group of fellow sports bike enthusiasts.

On Tuesday his many friends turned out in force to join relatives and neighbours on his last ride through the village.

His parents, Brian and Anne Spencer, chose to have the funeral procession assemble at Michael's Aunt Barbara and Uncle Harry's Boat House Inn alongside the canal bridge, rather than at their mossland farmhouse home on the opposite side of Astley railway crossing.

Police stopped traffic on the East Lancashire Road while the lengthy cortege wound its way to St Stephen's Church for the funeral service.

Michael's coffin was carried in to church by pall bearers, including some of his leather-clad riding mates, as mourners silently scanned the floral tributes which included a model of a motorcycle in the same colours as his own machine, complete with Yamaha R1 logo.

There was also a flower design depicting the resplendent Scania tractor unit and trailer which his haulage contractor employer Wally Thorburn had brought to head the procession to Tyldesley Cemetery.

As the procession prepared to leave the church grounds the 33 machines fired-up almost in unison and riders revved their engines in a final farewell.

Vee-twin Ducatis, screaming four cylinder bikes - including an R1 similar to the one on which Michael took his last ride, a growling KTM Duke single and a crackling two stroke Suzuki enduro bike bade him adieu.

And on the ride to Hough Lane some pulled wheelies as a final gesture to a like-minded soul and free spirit.

Michael's motorcycling friends have asked that any donations in his memory be made to the Welsh Ambulance Service for the air ambulance which was called out after his crash.

Cheques sent to his family at Birch Farm, Rindle Road, Astley, M29 7LU will be forwarded to Service headquarters.