GAZETTE & HERALD: MOTORBIKE enthusiast and father-of-two Tony Philip Read was killed in an horrific accident on Sunday afternoon.

Mr Read, 48, of Lacock, was travelling on an unclassified road at Blacklands, between Calne and Devizes, just after midday, when he lost control of his powerful red Ducati motorbike and collided with a silver Ford Mondeo.

Emergency services were scrambled to the accident, but were unable to save Mr Read's life. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the Mondeo and a passenger, who were both from out of the county, were not injured.

Mr Read's wife Katie was informed of her husband's death on Sunday afternoon and is said to be devastated.

She formally identified her husband's body on Monday and she and her children are being comforted by family members and a police family liaison officer.

The senior investigating officer in the case, acting Sgt Steve Bussey said: "We have been collecting statements and more will be taken in the next couple of days, but it appears that Mr Read lost control of his motorbike and that he came off of the bike and both collided with the Mondeo."

Mr Read's sister-in-law, Shelly Jones described her brother-in-law as a 'real bike enthusiast', and said he was also a safe driver.

Staff at Taylor Racing in Station Hill Chippenham 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.

"He had been in since then to buy a new helmet and some other bits and pieces, but he did not buy the Ducati 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 a fatal road accident on the race circuit and the race was postponed.

Chippenham and District Wheeler Gordon Scott, who was gearing up for the race when news of the accident came to light, said: "All we knew was that it must have been serious for the organisers to postpone the event."

Neighbours living near the Blacklands crossroads say they were alerted to the accident by the sirens of emergency vehicles and a police helicopter.

Mr Read is the third motorcyclist to die on North Wiltshire's roads in the last 12 months.

RAF junior technician and father-of-two Colin Burnett died on May 26, 2003, when his motorbike collided with a Porsche on Lyneham Banks he was due to take up a 'dream posting' in Yorkshire where he was born, four months later.

Andrew Nuttall, 29, who was also an RAF technician, was killed just two weeks after Mr Burnett when his Triumph Daytona motorcycle collided with a Ford Escort van on the A3102 Lyneham to Calne Road.

Calne Without parish councillor Ed Jones said there had been a number of accidents on the unclassified road at Blacklands in recent years and that the parish is campaigning to have its classification changed.

"It is a dangerous piece of road. It is of concern," he said.

Sgt Bussey has now appealed for witnesses to the accident. He can be contacted (01249) 716564.