A MOTORBIKE enthusiast received a 'wonderful send-off' as more than 150 bikers escorted him on his final ride.

Charles Ian White, known as Ian, died, aged 71, on September 3 following on a long term illness.

A popular mechanic and motorcyclist, the grandfather was well known by bikers in the area.

Faced with the prospect of having a limited funeral due to coronavirus restrictions, his partner Vicky Bentham wrote a post on Facebook appealing for people to help give Ian the send off he deserved.

On the day of his funeral, September 16, Ian’s family were blown away as 173 bikers arrived at Johnson Fold.

The bikers formed a procession to the crematorium, and although only six people were permitted inside for the service, the bikers viewed the service via a web link on their phones outside.

Ian’s daughter-in-law Lisa Bentham said: “It was amazing, for all of these people to turn up and support someone they had never met, we’ve still been talking about a week later.

“It all began with a Facebook post asking friends and family to share it, we didn’t think it would blow up so much.

“We expected around 10 or 15 bikers, but on the day there were 173. They were groups from nearby as well as from Manchester and Preston.

“The groups included the Odins Wolves, MCC Lioness, MCC Rivington and the Belmont Bikers.

“A few of them did seem to have known Ian and they spoke to Vicky, they said that they were heartbroken that he had passed away.

“But most of them were strangers who had come out of the kindness of their heart. It’s incredible to think that there are people out there in the world who would do something like this.

“It was a very sad day but it was also amazing as he got his last ride. On the way to the crematorium the traffic was stood still, but nobody seemed impatient or beeped their horns, nobody had any issues with it.

“They all waited outside during the service, they stayed right until the end.”

Ian had a longstanding passion for motorbikes and was a highly respected mechanic, often going the extra mile to fix vehicles.

Although his partner Vicky Bentham disapproved of his motorcycling habit because of the dangers it posed, it didn’t stop Ian buying a bike in secret and renovating it in his garden shed.

Lisa said: “He loved motorbikes so much, when Vicky found out about his secret motorbike she was furious, he didn’t get any tea that night but it was his passion.

“He was a fallen rider who got the send-off he deserved.

“It was so nice of them to do that, we said if there was anything we could help them with we would do it but they didn’t want anything.

“Some people even took time off work to ride to the funeral, it was amazing how it spread purely by word of mouth.

“We want to thank all of the bikers who came out to give Ian his final ride.

“It was an emotional day, but there was just pure happiness and love from people who didn’t even know him or us.

“It was the best day for the best father-in-law. As his daughter Samantha says, it’s not a goodbye it’s a see you later.”