Bikers honour attacks victim with charity ride

Nottinghamshire Blood Bikes has unveiled a bike in Grace O'Malley-Kumar's name

More than 100 motorcyclists and motorists have taken part in an event in honour of one of the Nottingham attacks victims.

The charity memorial motorbike and car ride, in aid of the Grace O'Malley-Kumar Foundation, started at North Weald Airfield in Essex before going via Peterborough to Newark, Nottinghamshire.

At the end of the ride, charity Nottinghamshire Blood Bikes presented her family with a new bike named in her honour.

Her father Sanjoy Kumar said: "It’s a heroic thing to do for our daughter Grace the hero, who fought so valiantly."

Dave Merry, a Metropolitan Police officer, said organising the event was his way of saying sorry to Ms O'Malley-Kumar

Ms O'Malley-Kumar's family are aiming to raise funds after the 19-year-old was one of three people killed in the attacks last June.

Organiser Dave Merry, a family friend, said: "I am doing something to keep Grace's name alive, keep the foundation going, to help out other people and, if anything, for more people to be like Grace."

The Metropolitan Police officer, from Essex, said he was "devastated" when he heard the news of Ms O'Malley-Kumar's death and that he was not able to help her.

"I said to Grace, 'No matter what time of day, I'll always be there for you' but sadly on the 13 June I wasn't there for her and that's hurt me because she was such an amazing lady... I feel I failed her," he said.

He said organising the event was his way of saying sorry and of helping her name to live on.

Ms O'Malley-Kumar Foundation worked as a vaccinator during the Covid pandemic and loved riding her Vespa scooter

Mr Kumar explained that during the Covid pandemic his daughter had qualified as a vaccinator, riding to work on her beloved Vespa scooter to vaccinate hundreds of people.

On the new blood bike bearing her name, he said: "Grace was going to be a doctor and if she could see this bike riding around with her name on it delivering essential blood services from one hospital to another hospital where it's needed... this is truly heroic."

Naomi McFadden, of Nottinghamshire Blood Bikes, said: "At the heart of it, we are a biker charity and nothing brings bikers together like a ride out because we get to come together in force and make everyone in the area wonder what we are doing."

Bikes named in honour of Mr Webber and the third victim of the attacks, school caretaker Ian Coates, 65, are due to be unveiled at a later date.