TRIBUTES have been paid to a nine-year-old York boy who was killed in a tragic accident while on holiday with his family in Malaysia.

Matthew Hamer, of Newton Terrace, Bishophill, is understood to have died after falling from a window while in Kuala Lumpur, where he was staying with his mother, Jane.

Matthew was a pupil of Scarcroft School and a popular member of Ovington Cricket Club’s under-nines team.

His coach, Alan Fletcher, said he heard the news before the under-11s match at Pocklington on Tuesday. A minute’s silence was held with the team wearing black armbands.

He said: “It is devastating news. Matthew was a good member of the under-nines team, he had been with us for three years and he was a smashing young lad.

“He was a quiet lad really, he never got up to any mischief, he listened to what he was told and got on with it.

“He tried really hard with his cricket and showed talent on the pitch.

“We understand he fell from a window or a fire escape, though the detail is sketchy on precisely what happened.”

Yesterday the Foreign Office confirmed a British National had died in Kuala Lumpur, but said it could not give further information because the death involved a child.

Matthew’s mother, Jane, and father, Keith, who is a lecturer at Leeds University, are understood to be still in Malaysia.

Paul Burland, 46, who lives next door to the family, described Matthew as a wonderful neighbour and a close friend of his own two boys.

He said: “We are going to miss him terribly. He was a lovely, friendly active boy.

“He was a close friend to our children.

“My boys went swimming with him. We are all very sad.”