"He had come home for Mother's Day, we just had his favourite dinner" said the father whose 20-year-old son Rakesh Joshi was killed in the Sandy Lane car crash in Cheam.

Loved ones have been travelling to the family home in Downs Side, Cheam, from as far afield as the US and India to pay their respects following the death of the former prefect at Kings College School, in Wimbledon and pupil at the Priory prep school in Banstead.

Others have driven through the night from Manchester to be with Rakesh's father Dilip, 57, mother Nutan, 56 and younger sister Ipsa, 17.

Rakesh was killed on Saturday, March 14, after the black Vauxhall Corsa he was driving hit a tree.

His father Dilip said: "He had everything going for him. He was a really good son."

Rakesh, a former Priory Preparatory School pupil, in Banstead, had been reading law at the University of East Anglia and was preparing to sit his end of year exams.

A keen guitar player, who performed in front of hundreds at the university's student union, Rakesh was also a powerful rugby union player with King's Rugby as a prop forward.

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Mr Joshi said: "He had come home for Mother's Day. We had just had his favourite dinner, he was in really good mood.

"He had so much potential. He had a week to go at university before his exams.

"It's a tragedy that he was cut down so young. He had everything going for him.

"He was well built, good looking, musical, very talented and very humble.

"So many of his friends thought highly of him too, he was voted the players' player of the year."

Upon hearing the news of his son's death Mr Joshi said he had thought about visiting the crash site, about half a mile from the family home, during the middle of the night but was unable to bring himself to do so, instead he waited until the following day.

He said: "The grief comes in waves, sometimes I can get on with making the necessary arrangements at other times it all becomes too much.

"It's the little things, like when I saw his PS3, you pick it up and it hits you.

"You should never have to organise your children's funeral."

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Rakesh's headteacher at KCS Wimbledon, Andrew Halls also paid tribute to his former star pupil.

He said: "It's very difficult to absorb what has happened.

"He was a larger than life person with great character.

"He was very warm, very friendly. He was a positive spirit in his year. School prefect and first 15 rugby player.

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"I last saw him about a year ago, with his mother. He came to give me a pen. I keep thinking about that.

"It just seems extremely sad that all that life force has disappeared.

"He was loved by a nice, supportive family and went on to read law.

"His year group, who left two years ago, are still very close.

"You can see how strong they feel about each other as a lot of them still get together.

"They had a lot fun and friendship together. The whole year and all the teachers are devastated."

Graham Malcolm, headmaster of Priory Preparatory School in Banstead, said: “Rakesh Joshi was a lovely boy, full of fun and very popular.

 

“He was highly talented and won a place at King’s Wimbledon and had a bright future.

 

“Rakesh was a regular visitor to the school and recently sang and played the guitar at a school event and always kept in touch.

 

“All the teachers and parents who knew him are very sad and shocked that Rakesh has been taken from us.

 

“Rakesh was a typical Priory boy and we will all miss him greatly.”

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Despite the tragedy Mr Joshi still found it in him to be thankful that nobody else was hurt in the crash, having heard there had been a near miss.

He said: "That there was only one person hurt is a very lucky, it could have been a double tragedy."

Funeral arrangements have yet to be finalised.