Bikers gather to remember fallen friend

Drummer Lee Rigby

A Middleton man who served in the Army Cadets with murdered Drummer Lee Rigby will lead hundreds of bikers in a moving tribute to his childhood friend tonight (Wednesday 29 May).

More than 200 bikers are expected to ride from Rochdale Town Hall to Middleton Arena where they will sign a book of condolence dedicated to 25-year-old Lee, who was attacked and murdered by two terror suspects in Woolwich last week.

Once at the arena, members of the convoy will sign the book of condolence and collect donations for Lee’s family before moving onto The Middleton Gardens where they will lay flowers and rev their engines for one minute, a mark of respect used by the biker community in place of a minute’s silence.

Organiser Gavin Vitler, 29, said: "It seemed fitting to do something like this for Lee. I remember serving with him in the army cadets when I was 16 and he was 13 and we both went to Middleton Technology College.

"Lee was a very bubbly person and it was obvious that he was going to make a big impact. He always wanted to be a soldier."

Gavin, a member of the Rochdale-based MT Heads MCC, will be joined by bikers from across the country who are planning to make the journey to Rochdale in Lee’s honour.

Councillor Peter Williams, Deputy Leader of Rochdale Borough Council, said: “I’m proud of the way that our borough has come together to mark the huge contribution that Drummer Lee Rigby made during his short life. Lee’s death has had a huge impact on our community and these moving tributes people have made are a testament to that.”