HUNDREDS of members of a Guisborough community turned out today to pay their respects to a popular, well-loved man who tragically died last week.

John Storey, 39, sadly took his own life.

Residents from Guisborough and the surrounding areas lined Westgate, Redcar Road and Bolckow Street as the funeral cortege drove through the town.

Mr Storey was an avid mountain biker, and hundreds of bikers from the North East Freeriders group followed in tribute of him.

Mr Storey was well known within the Guisborough community.

He worked at his family business of undertakers with his father Ian.

Sharon Hall, community member who laid flowers for Mr Storey at Market Cross, said: "Everybody knows the Storeys. John was a lovely lad. You couldn't have wished to meet a nicer person.

"When our parents died we used their funeral directors.

"He was a wonderful person. My family worked in Guisborough - he used to come into my shop. He was a lovely, polite, beautiful, young man.

"He was very well respected, along with his family, his grandad and parents.

"It's such a tragedy that somebody couldn't have helped. He's left so many people behind that care for him.

"It's just a sad, sad day for Guisborough. He was a well-loved young man. It's a big, big loss for Guisborough. And for his parents and family it's so, so sad.

"You think your life's just started when you get to that age. You never think you'll bury your children."

Mr Storey also played football for Guisborough Town Football Club as goalkeeper.

Flowers were left at Market Cross with messages such as: "John, your smile lit up everyone's day and you will be so sadly missed."

Penny Swale and Liz Barker, family friends, said: "It's absolutely fantastic how many people have come it's what he deserves.

"He was a really really lovely lad and his family have done so much for the whole community over the years."

Paul Alton, one of the riders, said: "My son knew him well.

"It just shows how popular he was. The turn out has been amazing, it's a tribute to the sort of lad he was."

Denise Buxton said: "His family have done all of our funerals.

"The turn out has been absolutely outstanding, really outstanding he deserved it and all of this.

"He just didn't deserve to go the way he did.

"He was smiley, compassionate, always laughing, popular. Everyone loved him. Nobody had a bad word to say about him.

"He ran the North East Freeriders club.

"Everytime you saw him he would say hi and always had a joke.

"Old Guisborough know the family well, and even new Guisborough knew him. They are such a well respected family - Yorkshire lads.

"I am so sorry for the family. I can't imagine what they're going through."

The North East Freeriders club have uploaded a tribute video for Mr Storey on Facebook, created by Dan Alton one of Mr Storey's close friends.