TRIBUTES to a young city footballer "with a sunshine smile" who died during his stag weekend were paid at his funeral.

More than 150 mourners packed St Peter's Chapel at Exeter Crematorium for the service for 25-year-old bridegroom-to-be Tony Kyle from Exwick.

The local footballer and roofer suffered fatal head injuries after he tripped and slid down a hillside at the start of a stay in Lloret de Mar in Spain.

Tributes at the Humanist service yesterday came from his parents Paul and Gaynor.

To music by Michael Jackson and All 4 One, Mr Kyle said: "He was a wonderful and caring son."

Humanist Alison Orchard said: "He was the boy with the sunshine smile. Tony loved life."

And his fiancee Emma Tythcott, 22, who he was due to marry in February, said: "I was looking forward to being your wife. You were everything I longed for — I will never forget you."

Tony was a former student at West Exe Community College and a talented striker, playing for a number of local teams including Whipton and Pinhoe. He played for Broadclyst for the past five seasons and had recently signed for Heavitree.

During his younger days he played for Gospel Spartans and Exeter City Colts as well as being a keen athlete.

The couple were due to fly out with family and friends for a wedding in Sri Lanka — a country they had always wanted to visit.

Mr and Mrs Kyle said the couple had lived with them for two years to save enough money for a deposit on a house and had eventually bought somewhere 12 months ago.

On the day his son died, Mr Kyle said: "We went out to Lloret de Mar for his stag weekend and arrived at midnight.

"We left the hotel at 1am and went to a couple of bars. On the way home, Tony and his friend got separated from the group and took a shortcut home.

"From what we can surmise, Tony tripped and slid down a hillside and hit his head. There were scuff marks and loose gravel stones where he had fallen.

"The Spanish police didn't speak English, so in the end it had to be the hotel manager who translated.

"He had children himself and was crying as he told me what happened.

"I presumed the worst because the police kept me waiting and I was left dangling for one-and-a-half hours before they told me. We had so much planned for the weekend."

Following the service, Tony's life was celebrated at the Crawford Hotel in Alphington.

Spanish police are still investigating the death.