The body of Tom Hadwin, 22, was recovered from a burnt out car in Kirkby Lonsdale in the early hours of Friday.

Firefighters, police and paramedics were called following reports of a car fire at the junction of Mitchelgate and New Road just before 6am.

At the height of the fire, two other unoccupied cars were involved and police cordoned off around a square-mile of roads following the incident.

Tom is thought to have been sleeping in the parked-up vehicle after a night out with friends.

It is believed a problem with the car may have caused the fire which is still being investigated. Cumbria Police say there are no suspicious circumstances.

A post-mortem conducted on Tuesday suggested Tom had died from severe smoke inhalation but an inquest will be opened.

Tom lived with his parents Dave and Judy in Kirkby Lonsdale.

In a statement, issued jointly with his brother Joe, they said Tom was very popular and well liked in his home town, which he loved.

It added: "Tom's family and friends are trying to come to terms with this tragic accident and the sudden loss of such a young life."

The former Queen Elizabeth School pupil was a fully qualified electrician, who was employed by Scott Kirk Electrical in the town.

Scott, 39, also manages Kirkby Lonsdale FC second team, for whom Tom, a Liverpool FC fanatic, played as a right midfielder or defender.
"It's just a shock," he said. "Tom was a brilliant lad and never let me down at work in five or six years.

"He was always laughing and joking and brought a smile to everybody's face.

"There was a big age gap but that didn't make a difference, he was one of my best mates."