THE family of a father-of-two who died from a stab wound said today they had lost a very special person.

They described Andy Campbell, 40, as a wonderful father and husband who thought the world of his children and wife, Debbie.

Speaking publicly for the first time since the incident on Sunday evening in Primrose Grove, Selby, Mr Campbell's brother, Paul, said they were all devastated.

"They were the perfect family who loved each other to bits - it's an absolute tragedy," said Paul, 42, of Birch Close, Thorpe Willoughby.

"Andy and Debbie had been married for 14 years and were very close - I never even heard them once have a cross word.

"Debbie is totally shattered. She told me yesterday that she and Andy were also best mates."

Paul said the two children, Hannah, 13, and David, 11, were Andy's, but he also had a stepson, James, and stepdaughter, Paula, who he treated "like his own".

"They had just saved up enough money to go on holiday and had booked for Majorca next month. Andy had just bought his holiday clothes," said Paul, who works in Selby District Council's environmental health department.

He said they lost their father, James, a year ago when he died suddenly from a blood clot at the age of 64.

Says Paul: "Andy was very close to his dad and was only just getting over his death.

"That's the type of guy he was. He was always there for you."

Mr Campbell worked as a mechanic and was also a part-time firefighter.

Paul said: "He wasn't happy unless his hands were covered in oil.

"He also loved the fire brigade, and gave up smoking two years ago to try and go full-time."

A former footballer with the Abbey Vaults team, he still played five-a-side twice a week at Selby's Abbey Leisure Centre.

Selby fire station chief Phil Wade said today: "It's like one big family here and everyone is in complete shock.

"He was always ready to do someone a good turn. He was in line for a leading firefighter's job."

Michael Tinker, owner of Timescale, where Mr Campbell worked, said: "You couldn't have asked for a more popular, better-mannered person to talk to customers. We're all devastated."

Grant Lawrence, 22, who worked with Mr Campbell at NTS, in Brook Street, said: "He was like a second dad to me - you couldn't get a better bloke."

A 43-year-old Selby man, Thomas Richardson, of Primrose Grove, appeared before the town's magistrates today charged with the murder of Mr Campbell.

Updated: 15:28 Tuesday, August 07, 2001