A TEENAGE motorcyclist killed at the weekend was the third of three young friends to tragically lose his life in an accident within a year, it has emerged.

James Hore

A TEENAGE motorcyclist killed at the weekend was the third of three young friends to tragically lose his life in an accident within a year, it has emerged.

Former Colchester Army Cadet Ryan Bugg died after coming off his Kawasaki 125 off-road bike and colliding with fencing in Rectory Road, Rowhedge.

Last night his family paid tribute to the popular 18-year-old who lost his fight for life on Sunday, saying he had been “the life and soul”.

And his devastated friends revealed it was the third time in the past 12 months they had been in mourning.

All three of the tragic youngsters had attended the Thomas Lord Audley School on the town's Monkwick estate.

On November 9 last year, Aaron Smith, 20, was killed when his Suzuki bike was in collision with a car in Monkwick Avenue, Colchester.

Then in May this year, 17-year-old Liverpool fan Gary Pitchford, of Speedwell Road, died when the car he was in struck a tree.

Yesterday, a shrine had been created at the scene of Ryan's accident, with floral tributes, pictures and presents and more than 350 people have already joined a Facebook tribute site.

His mum and dad, Lindsey and Robin, of Queen Elizabeth Way, said their son was very practical and capable of building anything.

They said: “He was always the life and soul. He always had a smile on his face. He gave out a lot of love to everyone. He was very kind, loving, and caring.

“He was a son that we were very proud of.”

Ryan leaves behind two sisters - Toni, and Jenna, and a brother Lee, as well as a step-sister Melissa and step-brother Martin.

Ryan's friends said the no-one had a bad word to say about him.

Curtis Neilson, who set-up the tribute site, said people were starting to think about the upcoming anniversary of Aaron's death and could not understand why their friends had all been taken in such a short space of time.

The 18-year-old said: “He was a very popular lad and he loved his motorbike and would go all over the place on it.

“It has not really sunk in to be honest - I am still expecting him to jump out and say he has pranked us as that is the kind of person he was.

“He was four days older than me and I had known him for 12 years and went to all the same schools.

“We can't understand it - why have all these good people been killed when they had done nothing to hurt anyone?”

The two friends had been drinking the night before in the Cherry Tree pub on Mersea Road but the first Curtis knew of the accident was when he saw it mentioned on Facebook.

Anyone who witnessed the accident on Saturday at about 11am is asked to contact Stanway road policing unit on 0300 3334444.