Hundreds of bikers descended upon Macclesfield to pay tribute to a well-loved motorbike enthusiast.

Steve Rowe, known as ‘Ginge’, died on September 28 after being diagnosed with throat cancer.

His funeral was held at Macclesfield Crematorium on Friday (October 18) and included a cortege of up to 400 bikers driving through the town.

His brother, Chris, who lives in Stoke-on-Trent, described him as a ‘lovable rogue’.

When word spread through the biking community about his death, bikers from around the region and further afield decided to join his funeral procession.

He said: “It was unbelievable to watch and brought a tear to my eye.

“Steve used to enjoy going to Macclesfield, there were some pubs he liked and he met friends to go on rides.

“He had been into motor bikes all his life and would have loved seeing all the bikes there for his funeral.

“The club did him proud.”

Steve, a truck driver with three children, was 52 when he died.

He rode a Harley Davidson Fat Boy and had owned other Harley motorbikes in the past.

He would often make the trip from Congleton to Macclesfield where he met fellow members of his club, the Devil’s Disciples, to go out on rides.

Chris said: “Some people think badly of bikers, which is unfair.

“They see someone in leathers with a big beard and get the wrong impression, but the bikers I’ve met are some of nicest people you’ll ever meet.

“My brother definitely was. I miss him, I keep expecting him to roll up on his bike and say ‘put the kettle on’. But at least he had the send-off he deserved.”