MOTORCYCLISTS from across the globe were in East Devon on Thursday to pay tribute to Exmouth biker Simon Batten, 38, who plunged from the cliffs at Budleigh Salterton at the end of May.

MOTORCYCLISTS from across the globe were in East Devon on Thursday to pay tribute to Exmouth biker Simon Batten, 38, who plunged from the cliffs at Budleigh Salterton at the end of May.

Members of the Satan Slaves, a motorcycle group to which Mr Batten belonged, travelled from as far as New Zealand, Germany and Scotland to pay their final respects to the fellow biker.

Hundreds of motorcyclists joined the funeral cortege from Axminster to Dalwood, where married Mr Batten's funeral service was held.

Mr Batten's children, from a previous marriage, rode pillion on motorbikes driven by the Slaves.

Traffic on the new A30 Honiton dual carriageway crawled along as scores of motorcyclists filled both lanes on their way to the funeral.

Honiton came to a standstill as the large cavalcade rode through the town centre.

The procession made its way to Axminster's Flamingo Pool, where the motorcyclists met the hearse carrying Mr Batten's coffin before accompanying it to St Peter's Church, in Dalwood.

Mr Batten, whose family come from Dalwood, was last month discovered dead on the cliff ledge close to East Devon Golf Course's 17th hole.

The police are not treating his death as suspicious.

A large-scale operation involving the police, Exmouth and Beer coastguards and the coastguard helicopter lasted for several hours to recover Mr Batten's body, which was discovered half way down an 80-foot cliff ledge.

The treacherous terrain where Mr Batten was found resulted in the coastguard helicopter being tasked to recover his body back to the cliff top.

The original plan to lower a scene of crime officer down to Mr Batten's body to carry out a thorough investigation was abandoned when it was deemed the operation was too risky.

Exmouth and Beer coastguard teams recovered Mr Batten's body onto a stretcher, which was airlifted onto the golf course by helicopter.

Leading up to Mr Batten's funeral, friends and former work colleagues from CeramTec in Colyton and King Rollo Films in Honiton, paid tribute to a popular 'intelligent' man who was known throughout East Devon for his love of Harley Davidson motorcycles and his sense of humour.