Jozef Stansiak, bikers escort to funeral at Budock Church

Bikers gathered at Carnon Downs on Saturday morning after an appeal by the family of Jozef Stasiak for an escort of motorbikes following his death last week.

Bikers in the holiday park (Image: Paul Armstrong)

Jozef, who suffered from life limiting disabilities ans died after a spell in hospital on December 14, loved motorbikes.

His mum Heidi asked Penryn and Falmouth funeral directors to put out an appeal for bikers to escort him to his funeral at Budock Church at 11am today.

The funeral directors put out an appeal on social media for bikers to attend.

The result was incredible as at least 1,000 bikers, probably more, arrived at the Carnon Downs holiday park andparked along the road into Carnon Downs itself.

At 9.30am Jozef’s funeral cortege left his home in Carnon Downs to be greeted by hundreds of bikers lining the route.

As his small white coffin in a specially adapted motorbike and sidecar passed the bikers that revved their throttles in respect for the little boy.

Once the hearse was at the front of the procession the two funeral directors dressed as Batman and Robin led the procession onto the roundabout and onto  the dual carriageway before getting into their vehicle and setting off.

Bikers wait at Carnon Downs roundabout (Image: Paul Armstrong)

The bikers followed and took over ten minutes for the last one to finally head off down the A39.

From there the procession headed west on A39 to Falmouth, keeping straight on through Devoran, Treluswell, Treliever, and Penryn Asda roundabouts.

They were watched by hundreds of people who lined the route including the bridge over the A39.

They headed along Bickland Water Road, passing the Falmouth Town Football Club on the left.

At the end of Bickland Water Road, they went to Swanpool, past Swanpool Beach along Gyllynvase Beach, Falmouth Seafront to the Falmouth Hotel Junction.

Scooter riders paid their own tribute (Image: Paul Armstrong)

Before picking up the A39 again down to the Falmouth Docks/Railway Station roundabout up onto Castle Drive along Castle Drive, and then back onto the seafront passing the Falmouth Hotel on the right, continuing back across the seafront, and the same route back to the Falmouth Town Football Club which opened up especially for the bikers.

Jozef with his mum Heidi and sier Izabella switch on the Falmouth Christmas lights in 2019 (Image: Packet Newspapers)

Only the first 50 bikes, including Jozef’s dad Dominik, followed the hearse up the hill opposite the football club to the church. All the rest of the convoy pulled into the football club.

Organiser of the Martin Jenning’s Run David Saunby told the Packet he was overwhelmed by the response which nearly surpassed the Martin Jennings Run.

“Tell you what, I’ve been overwhelmed,” he said. “I’ve been welling up. It’s getting nearly as big as the Jenning’s run. I didn’t expect this. It’s a fantastic turnout.”