TRIBUTES have been paid to a ‘devoted’ family man from the city who died after coming off his motorbike in France.

Christopher Spencer, of Field Close, off Astwood Road, died in the accident while riding near Nozay in the Pays de la Loire area of north-western France on Monday, June 6.

Mr Spencer’s wife of 29 years Pauline and their grown-up children, Andrew and Christie, said the 54-year-old would be “sadly missed” but “fondly remembered for all the good times we shared.”

A funeral was due to be held today for the engineer at St Barnabas Church in Worcester at 11am.

Mr Spencer was born on September 1, 1956, at 25 Sydney Street Worcester, the only child of Bob and Phyllis Spencer.

Soon after, the family moved to Fernhill Heath.

His first school was St Stephen’s Primary, then he moved on to Bishop Perowne School, which was then based in Barbourne.

Chris left school at 16 and began an apprenticeship at Heenan & Froude Ltd.

Once his apprenticeship was completed Mr Spencer began his long association with Christian Salvesen, working in the maintenance department in the Droitwich depot for 25 years.

In 2001, he was made redundant when the Droitwich plant closed down and went to work for Door Panels in Upton-upon-Severn and then AKW Medicare, in Droitwich.

He married his wife in Arbroath, Scotland, in 1982, and their son was born in 1982, followed by Christie in 1987.

In 2008, grandchild Scott Spencer was born into the family and Mr Spencer was “a devoted grandfather”.

He had many hobbies including dragon boating, darts, ten-pin bowling and a passion for his motorbike.

Funeral arrangements have been handled by A V Band, of Worcester.