A MASSIVE group of friends turned out pay a unique and emotional tribute to a popular teenager.

About 200 cars left Zest’s car park in Ipswich, bound in convoy for Southend seafront, in the Matty Skeet Memorial Cruise.

Matty, 19, of Orchard Close, Melton, near Woodbridge, died last month when part of an 18th-Century barn conversion in Worlingworth collapsed and crushed him and colleague, Kevin Ruffles, 57.

In tribute to the well-known BMX rider and car enthusiast, friends from across Suffolk and beyond took part in the 60-mile journey on Saturday night.

Matty was a regular on the cruising circuit and often met friends on the ‘Double Ds’ one-way system of Commercial Road and Grafton Way, Ipswich.

Many of those friends joined Matty’s family, old school friends and other memorial cruisers for the journey south.

The convoy was escorted by traffic officers onto the A12, before the hundreds of cars formed an impressive procession in Matty’s honour.

Simon Miller organised the event with help from West Suffolk Cruisers. Mr Miller, 19 and also from Melton, attended Melton Primary School, Farlingaye High School in Woodbridge and Otley College with Matty and led the convoy in memory of his friend.

He said: “People from all over the county came to prove just how popular he was. It was fantastic to look back and see a whole convoy of cars as we entered the Capel St Mary dip.

“When we arrived in Southend it gave everyone the chance to talk about their memories of Matty.

“He absolutely loved his cars. He made a lot of friends and liked flirting with the girls in Ipswich. And a lot of people who didn’t know him came along to the cruise because they wanted to make it a big event for him.”

Mr Miller and Matty’s friends now hope to make the memorial cruise an annual event.