Fitting farewell to Liam 'Turbo' Taylor (From Yeovil Express)

Fitting farewell to Liam 'Turbo' Taylor

4:11pm Monday 7th January 2013 in News

TALENTED motocross rider Liam Taylor was given a fitting send-off on Saturday when hundreds attended his funeral service at St Mary's Church in Chard.

The former Holyrood Academy student died in Frenchay Hospital in Bristol on December 18 as a result of the injuries he sustained in a car crash in Station Road, Ilminster, the previous evening on the approach to the Southfields roundabout.

The 19-year-old was well-liked and Facebook tribute pages have been supported by hundreds of people with dozens of messages listed in his memory.

Liam's parents, Gail and Chris, said on the social networking website that they would like to thank everyone for their kindness.

“We'd like to thank everyone for their tributes of gifts and flowers,” they said. “We would like to tell them that their support has been a help and they've all made us feel so proud of Liam.

“We are all as a family going to miss him so much and we cannot express how much. He was such a character and we loved him dearly.”

Liam, who had a brother Grant and two sisters, Toni and Della, had only just signed for the Taunton-based Oakleaf Kawasaki motocross team and was being tipped for a big future in the sport.

His bike - bearing his number 341 - was ridden in the funeral cortege while many of his co-riders and those from the sport attended the service.

Donations made in Liam's memory will go to the ACU Motocross Association and the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance.

Tributes, meanwhile, have been paid to Liam from the Mayors of Ilminster and Chard.

The Mayor of Ilminster, Cllr Roger Swann, said: “One only had to read the floral tributes and messages of sympathy to realise that this young man was held in great affection by all who knew him.

“His death at such a family time makes the loss truly tragic especially when it was one so young, so naturally talented and standing on the threshold of such a promising life.”

The Mayor of Chard, Cllr Cathie Morrison, added: “I was so sorry to hear of the sad news of Liam and my thoughts have been with his family and friends at this most difficult time.”