CHIPPENHAM NEWS: NEIGHBOURS have paid tribute to a gentle family man from Lacock who was killed in an horrific motorbike accident.

Tony Read, 48, lost control of his high-powered red Ducati bike and hit an oncoming Ford Mondeo when he was riding along a stretch of road between Devizes and Calne at 11.50am on Sunday.

Emergency services were scrambled to the accident near Blacklands Park but were unable to save the media consultant's life. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver and passenger of the Mondeo, who live outside the county, were unharmed.

Mr Read's wife, Katie, heard news of her husband's death on Sunday afternoon and is said to be devastated. She formally identified his body on Monday and is being comforted at her home in Bewley Lane, Lacock, by family and friends.

Mr Read's sister-in-law Shelly Jones described the father-of-two as a motorbike enthusiast but said his wife was too upset to talk about his death this week.

Neighbour Gill Hulse described her shock after hearing the news.

She said: "It's a horrible thing for the children and his wife. I've lived here for 30 years and they must have been here for the last 10. They kept themselves to themselves but he was always very friendly and used to stop and chat when he went by. He was very much a family man."

Another neighbour said: "He was such a nice man with a lovely wife and two adorable children."

Mr Read, who is the third motorcyclist to die on north Wiltshire roads in the last 12 months, was a regular at The Bell in Lacock but the pub's owners were too upset to pay tribute.

One drinker said: "He was just fantastic. Everybody is in shock about it at the moment."

Staff at Taylor Racing in Station Hill also expressed shock at Mr Read's death.

One said: "He had been a customer since 1994 when he bought a brand new Suzuki motorbike from us."

Hundreds of cyclists from across the south west were gathered at the top of Blacklands Hill, waiting to compete in the 90-mile elite section of the South Division Road Race Championship, when the accident happened.

Moments before the race started the event organisers announced there had been an accident on the circuit and the race was postponed.

Anyone with information about the accident can call Corsham police on (01249) 716564.