WEYMOUTH speedway great Lew Coffin has passed away at the age of 93.

As well as being a top speedway and grasstrack rider, Coffin also helped nurture a host of young talent during his long career in the sport.

Current Poole Pirates team manager Neil Middleditch was among those who came through the training school Coffin ran at the Wessex Stadium.

Coffin was a member of the Weymouth Royals team when speedway was revived in the town back in 1962 – he would go on to become team captain the following year.

He took over the running of the training school, originally started by George Bargery, in 1965 and developed the skills of riders like Alun Rossiter, Mike Sampson, Roger Stratton and Martin Yeates.

Coffin was also a familiar face at meetings in Poole and Wimborne.

“Lew started off in grasstrack racing and was still competing into his 70s,” said former Weymouth Wildcats’ team manager Jem Dicken.

“I used to help at the training schools in the 70s and he would stop to talk to anybody about speedway or grasstrack.

“If someone wasn’t doing something right he would tell them what to do and they would become a different rider.”

“He was a great guy,” added former Wessex Stadium announcer Tim Helm. “He was also very knowledgeable and didn’t hold back in giving his opinion.”

Malcolm Ayre, a big Weymouth speedway fan, said: “He was well-respected and a big figure in speedway, and not just in Weymouth. What a lovely man he was.”