'BIG, loud and obnoxious, but absolutely wonderful' -- those are the words used by a Preston woman to describe her biker husband who tragically died this week.

Family man Tom Webb was riding-in his brand new, 1,000cc motorbike for the first time, when a crash near Lancaster left him with serious injuries.

But the 43-year-old biker was well on the road to recovery and his family were confident they would have him home when he suffered a fatal heart attack on Monday in Lancaster Royal Infirmary.

Tests revealed he had suffered a pulmonary embolism or a bubble in his blood.

Tom, of Summertrees Avenue, Lea, leaves wife Nicky and four young children, Rebecca, 16, Natalie, 14, Sarah, 11, and seven-year-old Matthew.

Nicky, 40, said: "He was big, loud and obnoxious, but absolutely wonderful. All those words describe him but the bottom line was that he was a big softy.

"We are coping -- just about -- but it's a tragedy, it really is."

Tom, a former pupil at St Thomas Moore, now Corpus Christi High, Preston, was at a popular bikers' haunt, Quernmore, near Lancaster, when he came off the 1,000cc Aprilia bike on Tuesday, September 2.

He suffered injuries to his femur, pelvis and hip and was rushed to Lancaster Royal Infirmary, although his injuries were not thought to be life threatening. But he died in the hospital less than two weeks later.

Nicky said: "The bike was about a day old and they were out just running it in. He used to race at club level when he was younger, and didn't know what had happened.

"His whole life was trains and motorbikes. He was just so skilful at riding his bike, and he's the last one I would ever expect to lose it."

His funeral service is being held at St Mary Magdalene's RC Church, Leyland Road, Penwortham, from 10am on Tuesday, September 23, ahead of internment at Hill Road cemetery, Penwortham.