Tributes have been paid to a Norwich couple who died in a "freak" motorcycle accident in northern Spain. 

Hellesdon couple Kieron Haines, 68, and his wife Sharron, 65, were killed instantly after their bike crashed with a truck on the A-8 motorway near the resort town of Llanes, just east of Oviedo.

The fatal accident happened during heavy rain last Monday at around 5:30pm.

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It is understood the pair had a shared passion for motorbikes which had seen them do several European tours. 

They also kept an allotment and Mr Haines was a keen amateur beekeeper. 

Shelagh Gurney, Norfolk County Councillor for Hellesdon, wrote a message to her local allotment holders' association over the weekend: "It is with great sadness and upset that I have to advise you that my dear friend and bee colleague Kieron Haines and his dearest wife and old school friend Sharon have both lost their lives in a freak motorcycle accident while touring with their motorcycle club they belong to in northern Spain.

"I am devastated to say the least.

"Rest in peace my dear bee keeping friend and your wife."

“That is so sad,” replied fellow allotment grower David Rowe.

“He was a lovely guy. Always had time for a chat.

“Both very nice people.”

The accident happened just a few metres from a turn-off leading to the villages of Balmori and Posada.

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Part of the motorway was temporarily closed, with local reports claiming a mobile intensive care unit, Civil Guard officers and a crew from a nearby fire station being deployed.

A spokesman for Spain's Civil Guard said the pair were killed "when they crossed over a road line and the motorcycle skidded.

"They both fell and were hit by a truck, dying instantly."

Investigations into the cause of the accident are ongoing.

A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British couple who died in Asturias, Spain and are in contact with the local authorities.”