More than 300 mourners on Harley Davidson rode through Merton on Friday (October 6) to pay tribute to motorcycle enthusiast.

The riders headed from Co-op Funeralcare in London Road, Mitcham, to Lower Morden Crematorium to celebrate the life of former firefighter Ken Priss.

They were joined by more than a hundred family members, friends and work colleagues of Mr Priss.

Mr Priss, a retired fire-fighter serving Wimbledon and Tooting fire stations, died at the end of August through diabetes-related symptoms.

Firefighters from Tooting and Wimbledon and Kingston were in attendance and full guard of honour paid tribute to Mr Priss' long standing service - he had received the twenty five and thirty year medals for his services.

Gary Nokes, a friend and fellow Amoc Bike Club member, said: “It was a fantastic turn out. The day was very special.

“There was a story of a fire he attended where he refused to leave people in a burning building and only stopped rescuing when his fire helmet started to melt and his gloves were smoking.”

Mr Nokes, who became best mates with Ken through their mutual love of motorcycles, recalled how Mr Priss had a kind heart and generosity and loved riding his Harley.

He said: “Ken and I related on our love of riding our Harleys to wherever they took us on a sunny day.

“Our ladies would ask ‘where are you going? And we would reply ‘we don’t know, we have not got there yet’.”

Amoc (American motorcycles owned club) was started in 1994 by a group of bikers who wanted to ride and party without the hassle of ‘official’ owners groups and welcomed Mr Priss into its Surrey Chapter.

Many people paid tribute to the hardworking and warm gentlemen that Ken was with his son Richard giving a touching tribute to his father as well as his grandchildren.

The wake was held at the Morden Brook pub and later moved onto the AMOC clubhouse in Surrey.