THOUSANDS of people are expected to descend upon Calne on Saturday for the largest free motorcycle meet in Europe.

Bikes of all shapes, sizes and models will be arriving in the town centre for the 18th annual Calne Bike Meet which starts at 10am.

Live music from Hells Bells, Jamie and the Worried Men, Josie and the

Outlaws and Triple JD will echo through the town from 11am.

The Bike Meet will come to an end with the main ride-out at 5pm, with riders travelling from Calne, to Avebury, Wroughton and Royal Wootton Bassett.

There will also be a range of merchandise, food and craft stalls, with all money raised from the meet going to charity.

Money raised during the meet, which last year reached £9,000, will be split between Freewheelers, who transport blood to hospitals, the Royal British Legion and Calne’s only disability youth group, A Place 4 Us.

Calne Bike Meet chairman Matthew-Paul Jennings, said: “We have a Facebook page and we asked the community what they would like some of the money to go towards and this is what the people chose.

“We are very happy with the choices because it is very important to make a difference to local organisations.

“The ride-out starts from Porte Marsh Industrial Estate and goes through Calne so people can enjoy watching the bikes, to Avebury, Wroughton and Royal Wootton Bassett and finishing up again in Calne.

“To celebrate 100 years of the end of the First World War there is going to be a re-enactment from a group called Trench at Castlefields Park.

“We are all really looking forward to the Bike Meet and we have been planning this for a year.

“We are really excited to see the event in its 18th year, it just keeps growing year on year.”

Ride-out tickets and passes can be purchased from the Bike Meet stall next to the library on Saturday morning.

Businesses will be open to benefit from the large crowds expected.

Johnson and Daltrey, the independent family funeral service, will be open as they raise funds for wheelchair footballer Dan Wheeler from Calne, who has aspirations of playing at a national level, but to do so needs a new football wheelchair. He hopes to crowdfund £7,000.

They will be selling tea, coffee and cake for £1 and holding a raffle at 4pm.