TRIBUTES have been paid to a former Ipswich School pupil who was killed in a motorbike accident in South Africa.

British motorcycle journalist Kevin Ash, 53, died following an accident during a BMW press launch event north of Cape Town.

His eldest daughter paid a heartfelt tribute to her father on his official website Ash on Bikes.

The statement said: “Kevin Ash passed away on January 22 due to a motorcycle accident during a press launch in South Africa.

“The phrase ‘he died doing what he loved’ sprang to mind but I would like to stamp that firmly out. He loved his family more and we love him.

“As his oldest daughter, I only recently started to fully realise just how much further his parenting went than most; on receiving a tearful phone call at Stansted airport it was a natural response to immediately cancel his press launch and ride back home to teach trigonometry the night before exams.

“Everything he did was entirely for his children and his wife, and a little bit for his cat.

“My parents loved each other very much and I hope that one day we can learn to live without him.”

Mr Ash was a pupil at Ipswich School from 1971-1978 after gaining a scholarship when his parents, Margaret and Dennis Ash, relocated to Suffolk from Ilford, Essex.

He then went on to study engineering at Imperial College, London, but did not finish his degree due to a passion for writing and repairing engines.

It was while at Imperial College, Mr Ash met his wife Caroline Quanjer, with who he went on to have three daughters.

As well as dabbling in sidecar racing, Mr Ash worked as a reporter for Fast Bikes magazine, Motorcycle News as a reporter and assistant editor before writing for The Daily Telegraph for 15 years.

n Did you know Kevin Ash? Pay your tributes via Ipswich Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail starnews@archant.co.uk