A MOTORCYCLIST was killed when he was thrown in front of oncoming traffic after losing control of his bike, an inquest heard.

Douglas John was travelling on the A327 northbound carriageway in Eversley, Hampshire, when he was involved in the fatal incident.

The 56-year-old father, from Wokingham, had just gone into semi-retirement to spend more time with his family.

The inquest heard how his front wheel locked up after he noticed the change in traffic too late, causing him to be thrown from the motorcycle.

Despite the best efforts of the oncoming driver, Mr John was struck at around 4.40pm on October 9.

Mr John, of Finchampstead Road, Wokingham, had recently retired from a career in facilities management to spend more time with his family.

His family said: “Doug had lived in Wokingham for the past 24 years and was loved and cherished by his wife, Louisa, and two daughters, Emily and Beth.

“He had enjoyed a successful career in facilities management and had recently semi-retired to spend more time with his family, splitting their time between the UK and Spain.

"The recent arrival of golden retriever puppy, Milo, had brought him much happiness and a loyal companion.

“We are completely devastated at the loss of such a kind, generous, laid-back, clever and fun-loving gentle giant."

Mr Bradley heard that drivers jumped out of their vehicles and rushed to his aid after the collision.

An ambulance was called and onlookers began to take it in turns to perform CPR.

However, paramedics arrived at the scene shortly afterwards and despite their best efforts, pronounced Mr John dead at the scene.

A post-mortem examination revealed multiple injuries, including fractures to his skull and spine and bleeding on the brain, with the cause of death ruled to be blunt head trauma and a fractured spine.

Addressing his family at the inquest, Andrew Bradley, senior coroner for North East Hampshire, added: “This has been a particularly tragic case and everybody has been deeply affected.

"I hope you will be able to move forward – today is the worst of it.”

Concluding the inquest on Tuesday, Mr Bradley said: “These matters are just so tragic they hardly bear examination, but that is my job and I can now conclude the inquest."