A MOTORCYCLIST who died after an accident on the M1 motorway has been named as St Albans artist Toby Russell-Winter of St Edmund's Walk.

The funeral of the 37-year-old, who died in Watford General Hospital on August 21 after hitting a roadside barrier between Watford and Elstree the day before, was held yesterday.

He had suffered from cancer for ten years and leaves a wife, Kym, and children Joel, 11, and Hope,six.

His elder brother Simon said: "Toby faced his illness with incredible bravery and, right up to the last, lived life to the full.

"We gave him up for lost on several occasions in the past and yet, time and again, he pulled through.

"The fact that he survived as long as he did is a tribute to his courage and tenacity.

"The manner of his going has been a terrible shock for his friends and family and he will be greatly missed by the many, many people whose lives he touched.

"Toby was a gifted artist and a genuine character with inspiring and infectious enthusiasm for everything life had to offer. There was never a dull moment when he was around and we shall miss him terribly now that he is gone."

A neighbour said: "It is a terrible shame. Nobody knows exactly what happened.

"I was really shocked. He seemed very nice, but I did not know him very well."

Police are investigating the accident, in which Mr Russell-Winter, travelling north on a black Yamaha, lost control and skidded across the hard shoulder.

Rather than flowers, the family requested donations to the Hospice of St Francis, Berkhamsted.