HEARTFELT tributes have been paid to a former Looe man who has died at the age of 31.

Gavin McKay, a police officer and a man who 'lived for his young family,' lost his battle to cancer last week.

He leaves his wife Liz, and their three children Lilly, 10, Finlay, seven, and Ceryn, who is three.

Gavin grew up in Looe, attending primary and secondary school in the town. As a youngster he loved rugby and took pride in being in the Army cadets.

At the age of just 15, he met the girl who was to become the love of his life, while the two were both on separate holidays with their families in Xanthi, Greece. Liz was from East Sussex, and Gavin spent several years travelling up and down from Cornwall to see her, until his move to Eastbourne at the age of 18. The couple were married in 2005, in the same year Gavin joined the police force – the fulfilment of a dearly-held ambition, says Gavin's mum Carole Cunliffe, of Liskeard.

'He was absolutely thrilled to have joined the police. He put his heart and soul into applying and was delighted when it came to fruition,' she said.

'Everybody you talk to says what a solid kind of a guy he was. He was there to support everybody and he was a fun-loving chap.'

Gavin's funeral, with full police honours, is to be held in East Sussex on Wednesday.

A fund set up at gofundme.com/umwur8 by Gavin's friend and colleague Shaun Logan to support his bereaved family has raised almost £3,000 in just five days, with donations made by more than 140 people so far.

'It's wonderful that his colleagues are being so supportive of his whole family,' said Carole. 'I think Gavin would have been very proud.'