The mother and girlfriend of an Addingham man tragically killed on a charity motorbike ride in Kazakhstan have paid tribute to him.

The girlfriend of David Rayner, Samantha Treize, and his mother, Jeanette, this week paid tribute to the “kind, genuine soul”.

Mr Rayner, 36, of Low Mill in Addingham – known to most as Sid – was killed when his motorcycle collided with a cow in the central Asian country last month. He was on a long-distance ride raising money for a children’s charity in Mongolia.

His funeral service was taking place at Addingham Parish Church at 1pm today, followed by cremation at Skipton Crematorium.

Miss Treize, 42, of Hebden Bridge, said: “Sid was a kind, genuine soul, who cared deeply about the environment and everyone he came into contact with. He will be greatly missed by all his family and friends.

“He will live on in the memory of those who loved him and shared the experiences of his adventurous and energetic life.”

Mr Rayner was born in Ilkley and attended All Saints Primary , Addingham Middle School and Ilkley Grammar School. He was a Cub and a Scout in Ilkley Sea Scouts, and later became a keen member of the ATC based in the town, paving the way for his love of adventure.

As well as enjoying canoeing, sailing and mountain biking, he became an excellent climber and more recently showed great promise as a caver.

His climbing took him to local crags, but also to remote sea cliffs off Shetland, and he climbed the Old Man of Hoy in Orkney more than once. One notable climb was with actor Chris Chittell, who plays Eric Pollard in Emmerdale .

Mr Rayner was raising money on his bike tour for the Children’s and Young People’s Protection and Development in Mongolia. His family and friends want to continue raising money for this cause. Donations can be sent via Paypal to samanthatreize@gmail.com, marked as a gift.