A MOTORBIKE enthusiast has died following a crash on the A339 between Alton and Basingstoke.

Father-of-two Alan Walton, of Abbey Road, Popley, died in Basingstoke hospital on Wednesday night from injuries received in a collision with a Vauxhall Vectra at Shalden, just before the Lasham water pumping station.

Mr Walton (pictured), 49, was the second of a three-bike convoy. The third rider, John Swift, 35, from Winklebury, also sustained injuries when he collided with Mr Walton's bike following the accident. He was treated for upper body whiplash.

The three riders had left Station Caf - a regular bikers' meeting spot in Alton - and were travelling back to Basingstoke when the accident happened.

Mr Swift said: "We were supposed to go into a sharp left-hand corner. Paul Connor, the front rider, went around first but Alan did not turn when he should have.

"It looked like his wheels locked and he just hit the side of the car.

"He came off the bike which was spinning towards the left and I just hit it and got thrown over the handlebars. I must have flown 15 feet.

"I looked behind me and saw Alan, and I just stayed with him. There was a first-aid woman there talking to him as well.

"I tried talking to him but he wasn't talking or moving and was having trouble breathing. He must have been unconscious."

Mr Swift described Mr Walton as a "lovely jokey sort of guy and a very popular person."

The Vauxhall Vectra, driven by a 55-year-old man from Petersfield, smashed into a tree. It had been travelling in the opposite direction to the motorcyclists. The driver was treated for minor head and chest injuries.

The three bikers were all colleagues at the Four Square factory on the Daneshill Industrial Estate where Mr Walton was a production worker.

He was also a prominent member of the Basingstoke Motorcycle Action Group.

Nick Robinson, who owns a motorcycle shop in Turgis Green, said: "I was shocked to hear about his death. He was a very, very popular member of the biking community and had been riding bikes for years."

The police at Whitehill want to hear from any witnesses to the accident. Callers should contact 0845 045 45 45.