Every summer a growing number of motorcyclists are killed on the roads of Wiltshire, including some born again bikers who are re-living their youth. Now widow, Angela Harris, has joined the police road safety campaign. JILL CROOKS reports.

GRIEVING widow Angela Harris has donated the wreckage of her husband's motorcycle to Wiltshire Police for a road safety campaign.

Andy Harris died when his motorcycle was in collision with two cars on the A361 near Seend Fork in July 2001.

Devizes father-of-two Mr Harris, a plant machinery driver with rail company Amey, had only bought his motorcycle two months before he died.

Mr Harris's damaged Kawasaki ZZR 1100cc will be taken all over the county by the police as part of a road safety display.

A photograph of Mr Harris, who was 34, and his son, Dominic, now aged 16, on the motorcycle are also part of the display.

Mrs Harris took the courageous step of launching the display with the police last Friday the second anniversary of her husband's death.

Mrs Harris, a dental nurse, said: "If I could turn the clock back and I had seen a display such as this I wouldn't have let Andy buy the motorbike."

She said at the time her husband bought the bike she had no reservations as he was a careful driver.

He had owned a motorcycle when he was a teenager but gave up biking when he married and started a family.

When he died Mr Harris was on his way back from a DIY store in Trowbridge after buying some screws for garden decking which he was building.

Mrs Harris, 35, said: "I hope that by using Andy's motorcycle in the police display it will bring home to people how dangerous motorcycles can be and how little protection they have compared to other vehicles.

"If it makes somebody think twice or change their mind about buying a motorcycle then it will have been worthwhile.

"I am hoping the police display will target families and the typical family man who you don't expect it to happen to.

"Andy was a very careful, methodical person. He was an advanced driver and a driver by trade. If somebody like him, who was so careful, could have an accident it could happen to anybody.

"He rarely went out on the motorcycle, he used it for local runs.

When it wasn't being used it was left in the garage, polished and with a blanket over it."

Mrs Harris said the effect of her husband's death on herself and their children had been absolutely devastating.

She also has a daughter, Caitlin, 12,

Mrs Harris said: "Andy was a very likeable, positive person. He would do anything for anybody.

"There are things that set me off thinking about his accident every day. It's something that will be there for the rest of my life.

"If Andy's story can prevent one family going through what we have gone through it will be worthwhile."

Mr and Mrs Harris, originally from Devon, were teenage sweethearts.

They moved to the Devizes area in 1990 when Mr Harris was based at RAF Lyneham as a driver.

A police spokesman said they intend to take Mr Harris' wrecked motorcycle to open days and fetes to educate people.

They will also take it to the Red Lion pub in Avebury for the regular meetings of motorcycle enthusiasts.

Acting Sergeant Colin Hibberd, who works in the traffic department, attended the scene of Mr Harris' accident.

He is also a keen motorcyclist.

He said: "I hope this display will save somebody's life.

"I don't want to put people off motorcycling, but the death of a motorcyclist affects more people than just the deceased.

"We hope the sight of Andy, so proud with his son on his new bike, linked with seeing the wreckage will bring home the implications.

"This is probably the hardest hitting tool we have used and I hope people take notice of it."

Sgt Hibberd, who is married with two children, said his wife worried about him riding his motorcycle.

"She worries about me riding it every day," he said.

So far this year, four motorcyclists have been killed, including two personnel from RAF Lyneham.

Motorcyclists who have died in road accidents this year include Terry Brown, who was 21, and lived in Devizes.

Mr Brown's Suzuki motorcycle was in collision with a VW Golf driven by a woman in her late 80s on the A4 near Marlborough. The accident happened in June.

Also killed this year were two personnel from RAF Lyneham.

Andrew Nuttall, who was 29, and a junior technician at the airbase, died when his Triumph Daytona was in collision with a Ford Escort van on the A3102 Lyneham to Calne road in June.

His death came just two-and-a-half weeks after 32-year-old father of two, RAF airman Colin Burnett, was killed while riding a motorcycle towards Lyneham.

Mr Burnett's Kawasaki collided with a Porsche on the B4069 Chippenham Road at Lyneham.