THE mother of a teenage motorcyclist who died in a road accident says her family is was “shocked and distraught”.

Talented young engineer Laurent Devroey, of Hernhill, near Faversham, was killed after his bike was in a collision involving two cars on Tile Kiln Hill on the Whitstable Road, Blean, at about 4.20pm on Tuesday.

Laurent, 18, who was known as Laurie, lived at Staplestreet with his parents Michel and Mary and 16-year-old sister, Genevieve.

He was a former pupil of Chaucer Technology College, Canterbury, and went on to study aircraft mechanics at North Brook College at Shoreham Airport, where he gained an NVQ.

He had recently moved back home and had been working at Amphenol in Whitstable.

He hoped to become an aircraft mechanic and travel the world. His hobbies included designing, building and flying remote-controlled aircraft.

He was also passionate about motorcycles and was in the process of restoring a bike for his mother who co-ordinates the village’s French twinning group, part of the Dawes Community Association.

She said: “We are shocked and distraught by this tragedy. Laurie was a lovely son who had so much to look forward to in life.”

The Whitstable Road was closed near the scene on Tuesday until 9.40pm for an investigation into the collision, which involved a Ford Mondeo, a Citroen C3 and Laurie’s Suzuki 650 motorcycle.

Witnesses are asked to contact Sgt Robert Smith at the Serious Crash Investigation Unit on 01227 600970.