THE family of a man who was killed by a lorry on the A64 in North Yorkshire have paid tribute to a 'flamboyant character, who would do anything for anybody.'

Patrick Casey's mother Lisa, sisters Chelsea and Jamie-Lee and cousin Samantha spoke out after an inquest was held last week into his death in Sherburn, near Malton, in June.

The hearing was told that Mr Casey, 26, died after being struck by a heavy goods vehicle just metres from his home when he ran out into the road, with the coroner concluding he died accidentally.

His family said in a statement to The Press: "Patrick was a flamboyant character, who would do anything for anybody, and the family was devastated when he died.

"Patrick was gay and was proud of it. He was a brilliant uncle to two nephews and had two more nephews on the way and was very excited about that."

The family said that from some comments made at the inquest and reported in The Press, some readers might have thought Patrick was suicidal at the time of the accident, but the family was convinced - like the Coroner - that his death had been an accident.

They said that, as the inquest report had been told, he had been wearing headphones that day and they believed he had simply not heard the lorry approaching and had not seen it when he ran to cross the road.

• Mr Casey died on June 21, a day after the accident, and not on June 19, as suggested in an inquest report in The Press. We apologise for the error.