MATURE student Simon Smith has received a bursary paid for in memory of former worker Ron Cobbledick.

Ron, 43, worked at Lambert Howarth and Sons Footwear company for 20 years and was on his way to work at the company's base in Slough when a truck driver mowed him down on the M40 near to Henley just after 6am on October 30.

He stopped only to remove Ron's wrecked moped from under his vehicle.

Warwickshire Police have held extensive inquiries to try to trace the driver of the Volvo FL7 or FL10, and have involved every force in the country but so far no arrests have been made.

Lambert Howarth decided to put forward the money to help a student complete IT training because that is the field Ron worked in.

A panel of judged from Lambert Howarth held interviews with four candidates before selecting Simon to win the award.

Quality director James Howarth said: "When we started to discuss the merits of each of the candidates we all had different views and opinions. It was not an easy job.

"In the end we picked Simon because he was the person we thought Ron would have chosen."

Ron's widow Audrey, of Burnley Road East, Waterfoot, was invited to meet Simon and present him with his bursary of £2,500 for each of his two years' of college study at Burnley.

She said: "It was a good choice!"

It is a difficult week for Audrey with the inquest into Ron's death due to be heard today in Kennilworth near Leamington Spa.

She said: "Lambert's approached me a few weeks ago and suggested that they put up the bursary and I thought it was a nice memorial for him.

"Ron did a lot of courses while he worked for Lambert's and he had been there for many years. They had just had a party and presented him with a watch for 20 years' service shortly before the accident.

"It is so nice of them to remember him in this way."

Audrey has been approached by Close Up North to do a further appeal about the accident on a similar basis to the reconstruction already shown on BBC1's Crimewatch.

She said: "I just hope it jogs someone's memory and the police finally catch who did this."

Simon, 27, from the Healey Wood area of Burnley, said: "I have already started a business information technology course which involves computers for business.

"I am in my fifth week and I am delighted to have been awarded this bursary. I am currently working part-time at a supermarket to pay for the course and this means I may be able to reduce the hours so I can spend more time studying."

By coincidence Simon used to work at Lambert Howarth's ten years' ago and although he did not know Ron, he had read newspaper reports of his death.

He said: "When I complete my diploma I am hoping to go on to university and build it up to a degree and then ether become a systems analyst or maybe go into teaching."

As part of the bursary, Simon will also get a work placement with Lambert Howarth while he is studying.