A MAN whose brother died in a motorcycle accident got back on his bike for the first time in a year to complete a ride in his memory.

And the charity event was so successful - with around 40 people taking part - it could become an annual event.

Graem Barsby, of Grasmere Street, Burnley, vowed never to get back on a bike when his brother Jeffrey died 12 months ago tomorrow.

A deer jumped in front of him in a freak accident on a remote lane in the Trough of Bowland and the keen biker, who first rode a moped at the age of six, died after breaking his neck.

The 35-year-old, of Higher Causeway, Barrowford, had been on his way back from the Lake District on Whitewell Road, approaching Cow Ark Bridge.

This weekend his older brother Graem, 46, was joined by friends and family in a poignant bike ride from Jeffrey's home town of Barrowford to Kirkby Lonsdale.

A convoy of around 15 motorbikes set off from Barrowford on Sunday morning, stopping at Graem and Jeff's mother's house, in Higher Causeway, along the way so that Graem could present his mum, Irene Barsby, with flowers in memory of her son.

Graem, 46, and his wife Sandra, 41, then led the convoy of motorbikes to Dick Turpin's burger bar on the A59 at Gisburn, where around 25 more of Jeff's biking friends joined the ride.

He said: "When Jeff died I said I'd never get back on a bike and I haven't. This is the first time I've ridden my bike in 12 months but I wanted to do something in memory of my brother.

"I was slightly apprehensive before we set off and cautious watching every hedge and the speed limit.

"I had a lump in the back of my throat when I was going along the dual carriageway at Settle and saw the big line of motorbikes in my mirror.

"It turned out to be a good ride and we're thinking about making it an annual event."

Graem suggested the idea of a bike ride about two weeks ago and decided it would be a good idea to raise money for the North West Air Ambulance.

He said: "We had collection tins and raffle tickets and have already raised at least £500, which was our aim.

"Peter and Barbara at Dick Turpin's have been fantastic and have probably collected most money and my ten-year-old daughter Fay has been helping out."

John Leaver, 53, had been riding his bike behind Jeff when he died. He also took part in the ride and said: "I wanted to pay tribute to Jeff and try to raise money for the air ambulance, who were called out to Jeff, as a way of saying thank you.

"He would have loved seeing us doing this for him."