FRIENDS and family of an avid football fan who died after collapsing in the snow have paid tribute to a "genuine and lovely person".
Jamie Bell, 33, of Ouse Chase, Witham, was on his way home after a night out with friends on Saturday when he collapsed in the freezing temperatures.
Passers-by found Mr Bell unconscious in a lane near the Cherry Tree pub, Cressing Road, where he had been drinking and called the emergency services, but he died a couple of hours later in Broomfield Hospital.
Mr Bell, who loved watching and playing football, was a popular figure in the Witham community and will be missed by many.
He was "part of the family" for Hope Smith, 17, who called Mr Bell "Uncle J".
Hope said: "He wasn't actually my uncle but I have known him all my life and he was best friends with my uncle and their friend Lee – it was the three of them all the time.
"He used to sleep at our house nearly every night and would spend Christmas with us. He was part of the family."
She continued: "He was a really lovely lad, he was always caring towards others and when I last saw him a few weeks ago he was just his normal, happy, bubbly self. He was a genuine and lovely person."
In a heartfelt written tribute to Mr Bell, Hope added: "You are one of my favourite people – the greatest uncle. You never deserved what happened to you. I love you, Uncle J, thank you for all the unforgettable memories."
Mr Bell had been out with friends at the Little Elms pub in Dorothy Sayers Drive on Saturday, before going to the Cherry Tree, which he left at around 11.50pm.
Manager of the Little Elms Kieran Tame said: "He had only recently started becoming a regular here – I think because his mates were coming here too.
"He seemed like a lovely young bloke. It's a tragedy what happened. He was just having a day off with his friends."
Shocked friends took to Facebook to pay their respects to Mr Bell, who worked at RDC, an IT recycling company based in Braintree.
Colleague Lisa Knight wrote on her wall: "Work will be difficult tomorrow. Jamie worked at RDC too and was very well thought of. It's a massive loss for anyone who had the pleasure of knowing him."
She added: "Thirty-three is no age and I know everyone likes to say how great a person was after they die, but he truly was one of the special ones."
A spokesman for Essex Police said: "Police were called just after 12.30am on Sunday following reports that a man had been found collapsed in a lane close to the Cherry Tree public house in Cressing Road, Witham.
"Officers were notified by paramedics after the man had been discovered by members of the public.
"He was taken to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford for treatment but sadly was declared deceased at the hospital at around 2.30am.
"The 33-year-old, who is from the Witham area, had been drinking at the pub earlier in the evening and had left the premises at approximately 11.50pm.
Police are not treating the death as suspicious.
Gary Sanderson, a spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service, added: "First and foremost, our thoughts are with his family at this tragic time."