Family Pay Tribute To Motorcyclist

15 July 2013, 09:58 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

The family of Mark Ashdown, who died when his motorcycle was in collision with a car at Fair Oak have paid tribute to the 24-year-old.

His Honda motorbike was in a collision with a Skoda Fabia along Botley Road at Fair Oak at around 3pm on Friday 12 July.

In a statement, the family said:

"Mark was a loving son and brother whom had a passion for music and was never happier than when riding his bike. 

"He was looking forward to earning a living doing what he loved, as he was due to start a new job as a courier on Monday. 

"Mark will be sorely missed and always in our hearts."

Hampshire Police are urging all motorcyclists and car drivers to be extra vigilant on the roads, following six fatal collisions involving a motorbike - including Mark's - since the current heatwave began.

With hot weather forecast throughout the coming days, bikers are asked not to be tempted to dress light but wear appropriate protective clothing at all time - leathers where possible, high visibility tabards, appropriate boots and footwear, and take extra care on the roads.

Car drivers are urged to 'Think Bike' and be extra conscious of motorbikes and cyclists on the road during this busy period when bright light can make visibility difficult.

Chief Inspector Andy Bottomley, who leads the RPU in Hampshire as part of the Joint Operations Unit between Hampshire and Thames Valley Police, said:

"Tragically, over the course of the last week, six motorcyclists have lost their life on our roads. This high number is, thankfully, very unusual, and it is important to note that the cause of each of them is still subject to investigation.

"However, the one common denominator of all of these collisions is that they occurred during this current fine weather.  During this past week, people have been getting out more on the roads, traffic increasing, and it is set to be a very busy weekend.

"This advice is very simple and shouldn't need repeating, but we need to do everything we can to stop these fatal collisions happening and protect our road users."