Devastated wife of dad-of-two killed in motorcycle crash pays tribute to her 'soulmate and best friend'

Former policeman Ian Glanister, from Parr, was on his way home from work at Egertons Recovery in Knutsford on Thursday, March 28 when he was involved in the fatal crash.

Ian was riding his motorcycle on Manchester Road when a crash occurred with a car leaving Cottons Hotel at around 6.25pm.

The 29-year-old died at the scene.

He leaves behind his wife Leighanne and two daughters Jennifer, five and Megan, nine.

This week heartbroken Leighanne Glanister paid tribute to her husband.

The 30-year-old, mum-of-one, said: "Ian was my soulmate and my best friend. We had been together seven years and would have been married four years in August.

"He was the person everyone would call in a crisis, but sadly he is not there for me to call now when I need him.

"He was a nice, kind, gentle person who saw the best in everyone, sometimes to his detriment, but he always did what he could for people.

"When it was flooding in St Helens a few months ago someone was stuck in their car under a bridge and he was home and didn't know them, but off he went helping them by towing them out.

"That's the kind of person Ian was.

"He loved his daughters so much, they know he would do anything for them and try to fix things.

"Jennifer even said, 'mummy, daddy isn't here to fix this', she thinks he could.

"She knows he could fix everything, but he's gone.

"He was our everything, I know he knows I love him.

"Through everything we always knew that, we loved each other, he was an amazing dad and a great friend to everyone and honestly no one ever could ever replace him.

"We are just devastated, life won't ever be the same."

Leighanne went on to recount the day Ian died.

She said: "Ian was expected to get home at 6.30pm so when he still wasn't home at 7.30pm I went out with Jennifer to look for him.

"We went on his normal route to work along the motorway but there had been traffic on there that day and he was nowhere to be seen.

"His work said he left at normal time and even if he stopped for some reason he would have been home by then.

"That's when I got a call from a neighbour to say that police were on our doorstep.

"Ian used to be in the police, I knew what them being there meant. I just knew something was wrong."

The police met Leighanne and Jennifer at Knutsford police station, where Leighanne was given the devastating news.

She added: "I left Jennifer in the car. I'd already called all the hospitals in the area so I knew he wasn't there, but when police told me he was dead I just fell to the ground.

"All I could think was if he suffered, but I've been told he was already gone when police and off-duty doctors and nurses who ran to his aid.

"My daughter is only five, I just didn't have the heart to tell her daddy was in heaven until the next day, she still thought he was missing.

"Now she is so devastated that she just wants to go to heaven to be with him.

"Megan and Jennifer know he's not coming back, that's something we've had to tell them, that their daddy is never coming home again."

Ian had an advanced driving licence from his time in the Civil Nuclear Constabulary after training with Merseyside Police.

He had taken voluntary early retirement to spend more time with his children and had been working at Egertons Recovery for around nine months due to his love of vehicles.

He was also in many Facebook groups involving vehicle enthusiasts.

Leighanne added: "He was also into his motors. He was always so safe and conscious of everything on the road.

"He got knocked off his bike years ago and only got this new one a few months ago because of the cost of running his van, but he was always safe, I just never expected something like this to happen.

"I'd urge everyone to hug their loved ones a little tighter because really this just proves that you never know the moment."

A fundraising page has been set up to raise funds for Ian's family and his funeral costs.

To donate visit bit.ly/2FILyHE