A FAMILY is today struggling to come to terms with their grief after a 29-year-old man was killed in a tragic motorbike accident.Darren Walton, 29, from Stowupland near Stowmarket, died after he lost control of a Yamaha 350 motorcycle in Norwich.

A FAMILY is today struggling to come to terms with their grief after a 29-year-old man was killed in a tragic motorbike accident.

Darren Walton, 29, from Stowupland near Stowmarket, died after he lost control of a Yamaha 350 motorcycle in Norwich.

His death has left the village of Stowupland stunned after he became the third young person from the community to die in a road accident since September.

The accident happened just before 1.20pm on Saturday , on the Ashwellthorpe Industrial Estate when the bike driven by Mr Walton collided with bollards at the side of the road.

The location was given by police at outside Unit 2 on the estate. The rider received fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said the motorcycle was travelling along the access road towards the B1113 when the rider lost control of the machine.

Karl Waterman, 18, from Stowupland Road, Stowmarket died when his motorbike collided with a tractor on a country road in Hopton on September 8 last year.

Tanya Atkins, 22, from Hornbeam Road, Stowupland, died on October 6 after being involved in a car accident just outside the village.

Mr Walton's family from Columbyne Close in Stowupland, were too upset to talk yesterday, but locally he was known as a 'lovely young man'.

At The Retreat pub in Stowupland landlord Michael Hawkins said drinkers were stunned by news of his death.

Mr Hawkins said: "He was in here only last week, it's tragic. He was a nice lad and his death has left some people stunned, especially the younger ones around his age. This is so tragic for his family, they must be devastated."

The Rev Deirdre Parmenter, rural dean for the area and vicar at Stowupland, said: "It just goes on and on, we have had so many deaths.

"It's terribly shocking, this really is. So many young people have died recently. This is the third from a road accident in a few months.

"It effects the community so much, everyone feels so helpless when a young life is blown away. "We are shocked and our thoughts go out to the family at this time. It's unbelievable to have lost an 18, 22 and 29-year-old. It's a really bad time.''

Jean Collis, landlady at The Crown pub in the village with her husband John, said: "I did not know the boy, but this is really sad, such a shame."

A spokesman for Norfolk Constabulary said: "The cause of the collision is still being investigated and police accident investigators would like to hear from anybody who witnessed the crash, or saw the motorcycle being ridden prior to the collision."

Anyone with any information should contact Norfolk Constabulary on 01953 424242.