A CHARITY dinner is being organised in memory of a student who was tragically killed in a motorbike crash.

Luke Bunyan, 20, was left with a fractured skull and bleed on the brain following the crash in Greenstead Road, Colchester, in July.

A dinner will be held in the Balkerne restaurant at Colchester Institute on March 27 in his memory.

The event has been planned by former catering and hospitality students and money raised will go to the British Diabetic Society in honour of Luke, who had Type 1 Diabetes.

The ex-students planning the event have gone on to work at establishments, including The Church Street Tavern, in Colchester, Le Talbooth, in Dedham, and Oranges and Lemons, in East Bergholt.

The dinner will be a six-course taster menu for a fee of £30 per person.

A raffle will also be held on the night to raise money for Diabetes UK.

The menu was created by Alyshia Rayner, an ex-student working at the Church Street Tavern, and will be cooked by a number of former students, who also work in the town.

Martin Fordham, who is the head of hospitality at Colchester Institute, said: “Luke was an immensely popular student with students and staff alike.

“We are a big family and are honoured ex-students and lecturers wish to hold this event in Luke’s memory.”

Alyshia, who has organised the event, added: “The idea for the charity night came about from our ex-college tutors.

“They thought it would be nice for Luke’s old college group he cooked with while he was at college, to come together and do this night in memory of him.”

Luke’s college friends will also be invited to the event.

Alyshia added: “Organising this event has been hard work, but it is an honour to do this for Luke.

“Luke loved being a chef and cooking every day.

“He was a talented chef and excelled in everything he did.

“To be able to get everyone together again to do the charity night and raise money for something that meant a lot to him means the absolute world.”