A young biker died in a tragic off-road accident when he crashed into his oncoming friend, an inquest has heard.

Joe James, 27, died in May while riding his off-road motor bicycle in woodland close to Bedmond Lane, near St Albans.

An inquest into his death heard Joe, a former Alban Wood Junior and Faulkner School pupil, was riding his bike on the afternoon of Monday, May 4, with a group of friends.

Hertfordshire's coroner, Edward Thomas, was told the group regularly used the woods and always rode their bikes sensibly on the makeshift dirt track, close to Chiswell Green.

He was told Joe, of Newhouse Crescent, in Watford, and his friends always rode round the track in an anti-clockwise direction and all wore crash helmets.

However, the inquest heard before his crash Joe had taken his helmet off.

The court was told Joe and his friend Matt had driven off in the same direction around the track while their friends took a break.

Matt then stopped and chatted with the others. He then accelerated away before seeing Joe's bike coming the other way.

The two bikes then smashed into each other, sending Joe flying over his steering wheel.

The inquest heard Joe landed on his head, causing serious brain damage and breaking his neck.

Joe immediately fell into a deep coma and was taken to Watford General by Hertfordshire's Air Ambulance, before being transferred to Queen's Hospital, in Romford.

However, he died in hospital four days later.

Giving evidence, one of Joe's friends, Ryan Ely, told the coroner he did not know why Joe had taken his helmet off.

He said the two friends were not travelling fast and had both tried to swerve out of the way in the same direction.

Police officers said the bike had been in good condition and neither Joe nor Mark had any alcohol in their blood.

Described by his devastated family as a “gentle giant”, Joe was a builder and roofer who often helped the police out with a bike club.

His mother, Jenny, said: “Joe valued life and had just started to settle down.

“He loved getting up in the morning and always had a big smile on his face. I never thought he would leave me and I’m going to miss him so much.”

Concluding, Mr Thomas said:  "Joe and his friends had done this quite often and they have told me they have always gone in the anti-clockwise direction, especially when they knew other people were there.

"He wasn't going fast.  But he wasn't wearing a helmet.  There is a collision, you loose stability, you fall and he hit his head.

"That is what caused his death."

Speaking to Joe's friend, Ryan, Mr Thomas added:  "All of you who were there on the day must miss him deeply.

"But there was nothing more you could have done.  You all acted very responsibly and I would ask you to pass that on to his other friends."

He also told Joe's mother and family every decision they took about Joe's care in hospital were the correct ones.

Mr Thomas recorded a verdict of accidental death.