Maidstone’s biker community are clubbing together to send their friend on one last journey.

Osvaldas "Ozzy" Rimša was tragically killed in a motorbike accident on London Road, Maidstone.

The 27-year-old, of Florence Road, Maidstone, had left work and was less than half a mile from his home at the time of the crash at 1.45pm on Friday, January 15.

Now friends and fellow bikers are raising money to send Mr Rimša’s body home to Lithuania.

So far the "Ozzy Ride Free, let’s get you home!" campaign, which can be found at bit.ly/ozzyfree, has raised more than half of its £3,000 target, with anything extra raised going to Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance, a charity Mr Rimša raised money for.

It comes as members of the Reca Community Biker Cafe, where Ozzy was well known, gathered at the St Peter’s Street venue at 10am on Sunday to remember him.

They walked to the scene of the collision outside Formula One Autocentre laying flowers along the route.

Rick Evans, who runs the cafe with his wife Katie, said: “Just short of 100 bikers turned up. We were expecting high numbers as we are a group that gets involved in ride-outs and funeral escorts for fallen bikers.

“As a community we pull together when there is a fallen brother.”

“As a community we pull together when there is a fallen brother” - Rick Evans

Just under half of those who turned out had never met Ozzy, and many came from far and wide, with the London Lithuanian Bikers and West Kent Bikers attending.

Mr Evans added: “The message to come from this tragedy should be a road safety one. Look once, look twice, think bike.”

The exact circumstances of the crash are not yet known, with an inquest into Mr Rimsa’s death opened and adjourned on Friday last week, with multiple injuries given as a cause of death. A pre-inquest review is scheduled for Monday, March 7.

The incident involved a black Alfa Romeo Giulietta and Mr Rimša’s black Yamaha R1. The driver of the car, a man in his 50s, suffered minor injuries.

Several police vehicles were called to the scene alongside paramedics, crash investigators and more than a dozen officers.

Anyone who saw what happened or either vehicle before the crash is asked to call police on 01622 798538 or email sciu.td@kent.pnn.police.uk, quoting reference 15-0632.