British father, 51, is killed in ‘high speed hit and run’ while cycling in Italy

• George Young, from London, was found last Friday after not turning up for work
• A 36-year-old has turned himself into police after he thought ‘he hit an animal’ 

Police are questioning a man after a British chef cycling home from work was knocked down and killed in a apparent hit and run.

Father of one George Young, 51, was found by emergency services fatally injured in a ditch by the side of the road after worried work colleagues raised the alarm.

Originally from Mile End, east London he had moved to San Bonifacio near Verona, Italy, with his wife and daughter and found work as a chef in a local restaurant.

Staff at the Re di Fiandra eatery raised the alarm on last Friday after he failed to show up for his shift and his body was found a few hours later.

Owner Renato Danese said it had been raining heavily when George finished his shift and he had offered him a lift home but instead he said he would cycle the short distance.

Mr Danese said: ‘He said he didn’t want to put anyone to any trouble and so he put his rucksack on and his reflective jacket and left. That was the last we saw of him.

‘He should have arrived at work on Friday and when he didn’t I messaged and called but got no answer and so that’s when I called the police and they found his body.’

George Young, a 51-year-old father-of-one from Mile End, was found last Friday in Italy

Mr Young was found by emergency services fatally injured in a ditch by the side of the road

Police quickly found skid marks on the road which would have taken him home and when they saw a road sign that had been knocked dover they investigated further and found George’s body and bike.

They had used drones to scout the area after tracing his mobile phone signal to the road where it was last picked up.

A police source said that an initial investigation showed he had been ‘hit at speed’ and his body propelled 100m before ending up in the ditch close to his crumpled bike.

Friends revealed that he had split from his first wife, Arianna Sartori, who had moved to Belgium with his eight year old daughter Victoria.

Mr Danese paid tribute to him and said: ‘He had worked here for five years and was a good colleague and friend. No-one can believe he was such a lovely man, really friendly.

‘He cycled that way to and from work every day for five years and nothing ever happened until now – you can’t just die this way.’

George was also a DJ and on Facebook tributes were paid to him by the music community. In a post The Underground Sessions said it had ‘lost a legend’.

It added: ‘Never had a change to meet George in person but spent many a night in the chat or on the mic making each other life. Sorry to everyone who knew him. His presence will be missed.’

On her Facebook page Arianna posted a picture of rain lashed window and friends, with friends sending their condolences.

She told them: ‘I will miss him always,’ while Victoria said in a note to: ‘I love you daddy, I will never forget you.’

Fellow DJ Nicola Roncolato said: ‘A good person and a great DJ. Always kind to everyone.

‘I really hope justice is served and this street pirate is caught.’

Tributes poured in for the DJ. In a post, The Underground Sessions said it had ‘lost a legend’

A 36-year-old man has since handed himself into police after reading about George’s death and his lawyer Paolo Bogoni said: ‘My client was on the road and thought he hit an animal but then saw the news of the body being found.

‘He told me that he was on the road and about that time and was returning home from visiting family – he said he struck something but when he stopped he could find nothing to explain the damage to his car.

‘The following day he retraced his route in the daylight but again saw nothing unusual but then he saw the news called me and said he thought he might be involved.

‘That’s why we went to the police because he felt it necessary to tell them what happened, and he is willing for them to examine his car and speak with him.’

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