A father of six died after the motorbike he was riding was involved in a traffic collision shortly after 4.30pm last Wednesday.

Mark Stephen Meaney, aged 44, from Monkton was confirmed dead at the scene of the accident which occurred on the road between the Tiers Cross Total Refinery Road and Thornton.

The family said: "He was a very strong family man and a loving husband, father, grandfather, son, brother and friend. He was a very popular man who always wanted to make sure that everyone else was alright.

"People with problems seemed to gravitate towards him because he would guide and look after them."

He had been with his wife Yvonne for 21 years.

For most of his working life he was a fisherman and this remained a much-loved hobby when, in recent years, he become a scaffolder.

The family added: "He has left a gap in our lives that will be impossible to fill."