Shropshire mother pays tribute to fun-loving son who died in a crash near her home

Lewi Holyoake always joked that he was a Peter Pan who would never grow up.

The 30-year-old groundsman won the Midlands Showjumping Champion title when he was just 12 years old.

He died when his car hit a wall in a road accident at Melverley, near Oswestry, in the early hours of September 11.

Today, Mrs Jacquie Holyoake, from Melverley, said his girlfriend was expecting their son, who she said would be called Lewis.

Lewi had two other sons, Charlie and Jack, whom she said he adored.

Mrs Holyoake said Lewi would be sadly missed by her and his stepfather Paul Holyoake, who she said was his "best buddy", as well as by his father Leslie Page, his partner Hayley and his sons.

"He also leaves his brothers Wayne, Craig and his sister Caroline as well as his uncles and aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews, grandparents and friends," she said.

The family moved to Shropshire from their home in the West Midlands when Lewi was a teenager.

"He loved horses and was the Midlands Showjumping Champion with his horse, Solo, when he was 12," Mrs Holyoake said.

"There wasn't a horse that he couldn't ride and he loved the horses we had here."

After working in pubs and restaurants her son began work as a groundsman and about four months ago went to work for the Severnside Caravan Park.

"It was his dream job, he was so happy there and they thought the world of him," she said.

Mrs Holyoake said that Lewi would light up a room when he walked in. "He was a joker, wind up merchant, sensitive and caring soul who loved his family dearly. He always said he wouldn't make 'old bones' because he was Peter Pan, and yes he was our Peter Pan," she said.

The funeral will be held on Saturday at 12.15pm at Melverley Church.