AROUND 400 scooter riders and bikers travelled up the A338 Spur Road on Saturday afternoon in tribute to 16-year-old Jade Clark.

Some 200 scooterists and bikers from Bournemouth and Poole clubs including the Newtown Cons, Modropheniacs and Renegades assembled at Velocity Scooters in Moordown, Bournemouth, at 3.30pm.

From there the convoy moved on to Springbourne Fire Station where at least 200 more riders joined for the main event – the journey up the A338 to Ringwood.

With the scooters limited to 30mph, the procession took more than half an hour to reach its destination.

Jade died in a collision on the A31 near Ashley Heath on Sunday, February 24, and the riders joined her family and friends at a memorial balloon release at 6pm on Saturday.

Ride organiser Colin McDonald said: “It has been amazing to see such a great turnout today.

“We had scooter clubs, bike clubs and trike clubs all keen to take part.

“It is a difficult thing to organise but everyone pulls together in this sort of situation.

“It is tragic that a 16-year-old girl lost her life in such circumstances, and we are all here to pay tribute. She was obviously a go-getting young girl and didn’t waste her life.

“At the end of the day this could have been any of our kids being knocked off so it really means something to the riders here.

“I'm hoping we will help them raise £1,000 at least for the Ringwood Young Firefighters, the family's chosen charity.”

Ian Keeping, 45, from the Dorset Knights Scooter Club in Blandford, was one of the many riders who travelled miles to take part in the event.

“We just want to show our support for the family in these tragic circumstances,” he said.

“Hopefully it will help highlight the dangers scooter riders face and encourage drivers to pay more attention.”

Ringwood biker Matthew Cornwall, 44, said: “I never knew Jade but I saw her about, this has really hit Ringwood hard. We are doing this in her honour.”