Paul Skidmore: Motorcyclist's funeral to be policed

The 48-hour dispersal notice is in place on Stream Lane at the junction of Glynee Avenue

A motorcyclist's funeral that is expected to draw large crowds will be policed to prevent "violence and disorder".

Paul Skidmore died in a crash in Kingswinford on 21 March.

A vigil held five days later near Dell Stadium in Brierley Hill saw people on quad bikes speeding and street-racing, causing alarm to residents.

A 48-hour dispersal order ahead of the funeral is in place until 20:00 BST on Saturday.

It covers Stream Road at the Junction of Glynne Avenue in Kingswinford. A Public Space Protection Order is also in place at Fens Pool, Brierley Hill.

West Midlands Police said it had been done with the "full consent" of Mr Skidmore's family and urged mourners to "attend in a safe and responsible manner".

"There will be an unobtrusive police presence provided by local officers during the funeral," a statement said.

"We appreciate that this is a difficult time for Paul's family and friends and we urge people to honour his memory respectfully, so that the funeral can take place peacefully.

"We understand the use of these powers can cause concern and can seem excessive, however our priority is to keep [people] safe. We're using these powers to prevent violence and disorder."

Mr Skidmore died in the crash with a van, in which the driver suffered minor injuries.

No arrests have been made and an investigation is under way.