FAMILY and friends of motorcycle crash victim Howard Barnes have united in grief by getting tattoos in his memory.

Howard, known to his friends and family as Howie, died when his motorbike and a car collided in Pump Lane, Rainham, last Tuesday.

Now friends and family of the 19-year-old mechanic, who lived in Shakespeare Road, Gillingham, have made sure the former Rainham Mark Grammar School pupil’s memory will live on forever with a series of tattoos.

Six people, including his sister Renata and Howie’s girlfriend Kirsty Butler, have already had a tattoo with his name and the dates of his birth and death.

Sally Sandwell, Howie’s mother, is due to have her tattoo done at Medway Tattoo Parlour in Gillingham tomorrow.

She said: “I think people wanted to show how much they loved Howie and how much he meant to them.

“There have been so many people giving me support since his death. I never realised quite how many friends he had until now.”

Josh Medhurst, who has had the tattoo on his chest, said: “All of Howie’s friends just decided they wanted to something and a tattoo seemed the best way of having a permanent reminder.

“It took 40 minutes to do and was a bit painful, but it was worth it.”

Mrs Sandwell discovered her eldest son had been in a crash when one of his friends saw his bike in the road.

She said: “I was hysterical when I heard the news. Howie was always having accidents of one sort or another and had been in hospital several times, but my gut told me it was really bad this time.

“My only consolation is I made it to the hospital before he died. I don’t know why, but that helped.

“Howie loved bikes and he thought he was indestructable. He thought he could bounce. He used to say to me after previous accidents: ‘Mum, I know how to fall’.

“He was always getting into scrapes. We went to see the movie Jackass the other week and that film just about sums Howie up. But he was the best motorcyclist I have ever seen. He was riding a 50cc bike in the back garden when he was just three. He just loved bikes.”

Howie, a former sea cadet, had started a job as a mechanic the day before his death and had been giving a lift to a friend when the accident happened.

The pillion passenger, Steve Bates, suffered serious leg, arm and back injuries in the crash and is recovering in Medway Maritime Hospital.

Mrs Sandwell said: “Steve is is blaming himself, which is wrong. I don’t blame him and nobody else does.”

Howie’s funeral is at Medway Crematorium, Blue Bell Hill at 1.40pm on Friday.

His ashes will be scattered at Brands Hatch, where Howie always wanted to ride.