MORE than 100 bikers have helped a Trowbridge family to raise over £1,000 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

They turned up on Saturday morning to take part in the Ride to the Tide: Ben Garland Memorial Run from Trowbridge to Poole in Dorset.

The ride was organised by Trowbridge bus driver Mark Garland in memory of his son, Ben, 24, who disappeared off the north coast of Ibiza last year.

Ben had ridden out near the Portinatx area of the Spanish island on his Harley Davidson motorcycle to video film waves crashing onto rocks after Storm Gloria. His body has never been found.

Mr Garland, 55, of Frome Road, said: “I am very happy with today’s turn-out. It was a lot more than I expected.

“There are some stunning bikes here today and it’s good to know that Ben is not being forgotten.

“I know that Ben will be looking down and saying ‘well done Dad’.”

Mr Garland’s family and Ben’s close friends organised the 102-mile round trip to raise £1,100 for the RNLI in memory of his son, who was working as a crew member on a luxury superyacht when he disappeared.

Those taking part included Peter Eagles, 55, from Bath, who is one of Mr Garland’s First Bus colleagues.

He was riding the smallest bike present, a Honda Monkey Z125, saying: “It’s not the fastest bike here today, but it’s fun to ride.”

The riders included David Rowe, 62, and his friend Peter Kammeyer, 57, both from Warminster, who had seen it promoted on local social media sites.

Mr Kammeyer said: “I can’t imagine what the family are going through.”

Mr Garland, who drives for First Bus, said: “The hardest part is we still don’t have closure - we don’t know what happened.”

Spanish Police contacted him a few weeks ago after another body was found. The Garland family are still waiting to find out whether it is Ben.

Mr Garland says his family will not rest until Ben’s body is found and brought safely back home.

The riders met at 9am at the Trowbridge Rugby Club’s ground off the A361 at Hilperton before departing at 10am. Riders each paid £10 to take part.

The ride ended at the RNLI Lifeboat Station on the harbour front in Poole, where Mr Garland presented a bumper cheque to the saving lives at sea charity.