The devastated parents of a teenager who died after a tragic accident on New Year’s day have paid tribute to their fun-loving son.

Michael Male, 19, died in St George’s hospital on January 3 after suffering serious head injuries just around the corner from his home on Lower Addiscombe Road at 4.35am.

The Brighton university student was on his way home from a New Year’s celebration with about 20 friends at Oceana’s nightclub in Kingston.

His parents Stephen Male and Joanne Veal, who are separated, believe he fell over and hit his head in a “freak accident”.

He was found by a neighbour who was returning home from a party, lying on the floor on the corner of Sherwood Road and Lower Addiscombe Road.

She called an ambulance and he was rushed to hospital.

His parents, who never left his bedside when he was in St George’s hospital, paid a poignant tribute to their son from his mother’s home in Addiscombe Road, where he grew up.

For his father Stephen, the tragedy of his son’s death was all the more heartbreaking as doctors told him Michael was brain dead on January 2, his 46th birthday.

He said: “I will never celebrate my birthday again, January 2 is no longer my day, its Michael’s day.

Miss Veal, 42, fondly remembers her “beautiful” son as “lazy and messy”, someone who she could never get out of bed. A fun-loving teenager who doted on his 14-year-old brother Ben.

Mr Male, 46, said: “Ben was born in this home and Michael grew up here. Jo gave birth to Ben in this house and we did not know how Michael would react. He walked over to his little brother, leant across his mum and gave him a kiss.

“Ben and Michael were very close, he doted on his older brother.

“I have no bad memories of my son, he was a good kid, he never caused me a moment of trouble. He was not just my son, he was also my friend.”

When his parents found out their son would never wake up from his coma, they held an impromptu farewell in his hospital room and invited his friends to come around and say goodbye.

The doting pair were overwhelmed when up to 70 of their son’s friends and family appeared at the hospital to wish him farewell.

His mum, who last spoke to Michael on the phone an hour before he was found, said: "Everyone came and said goodbye and said such nice things about Michael.

"It was beautiful and a bit surreal, I was standing at the head of his bed telling him who had arrived. We had the radio on and all his favourite tunes were playing."

Mr Male said: “Saying goodbye was the hardest thing because I told him I would never leave him.

”Mick grabbed hold of life with both hands, he gave everything 100 per cent. I couldn’t be prouder of my son.”

Michael’s parents gave their heartfelt thanks to the “amazing” doctors and nurses at St George’s A&E who looked after Michael after his accident.

Miss Veal said: "In particular we would like to thank Heidi, Jessica and Theresa who looked after him."

"Police are treating the death as unexplained and are urging witnesses to come forward and help them with their investigations.

Detective Constable Brad Stow, from Croydon CID, said: “We are appealing for anyone who may have been about in the area or passing on their way home and may have seen something to help us establish exactly what happened.”

Anyone who may have seen something or with information should contact Croydon CID on 020 8649 0258 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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