A grieving family believe thieves are behind the disappearance of a floral tribute to a young drag racing champion.

Mourners put the shrine, made up of silk flowers, on the main road alongside Wild Park at Moulsecoomb, Brighton, in memory of 22-year-old Bryan Virgo.

Bryan, of Hartington Road, Brighton, who was single, died when his motorcycle crashed on March 5.

An inquest heard his powerful motorbike hit a kerb at the roadside in Lewes Road, Brighton, and hurled him into a tree. He died instantly after suffering severe head injuries.

He had ridden bikes since he was just seven and got his full licence before starting to ride a Suzuki 750. Crash investigator PC Nigel Harwood said the crash was caused by excess speed and poor positioning, and a verdict of accidental death was recorded by Brighton and Hove Coroner Veronica Hamilton-Deeley.

The family put the floral tributes bearing the words "Bryan" and "Brother" next to a tree along with a bucket of silk flowers and a pillow to pay tribute to the young biker. But now only the bucket remains, sparking fears that the other tributes have been stolen.

Bryan's sister-in-law Tracy Boxall, 30, of Newick Road. Moulsecoomb, said: "We put the tributes out so we knew there would always be somewhere to remember Bryan by and now all this has happened.

"We haven't got a clue who did it. There are no locals who would move it. Most of the people around here knew him and some of them took flowers down.

"I don't think it was the council. They have cut the grass three of four times there and they just went round them. We have spoken to them and they said they don't do anything like that.

"It's heart-breaking that such a thing should happen to something like this. It was a touching shrine."