A HEARTBROKEN father has paid tribute to his "fun-loving" son on the one-year anniversary of his death which saw him take his own life at the age of 22.

Grant Bushell, who had battled depression for a number of years, was found dead on the morning of August 28, 2015 in an old allotment site near to Vulcan Road in Barrow.

His father Craig Bushell, 51, described his son, who had a two-year old daughter called Gracie Logan, as the "life and soul of the party" and admitted that he thinks about him every single day.

Mr Bushell said: "It is the most awful thing a person can go through and some days I am still expecting him to come through the door. My boy was larger than life and he really did have a heart of gold.

"The pain never goes away and not a day goes by that I don't think of him. I miss my boy every day and I wish he was here."

Mr Bushell's sister, Jade, was also incredibly close to her "one-of-a-kind" brother. She has arranged for Chinese lanterns and fireworks to be let off in the park next to Vulcan Road today to acknowledge a year since his passing.

The 24-year-old struggled to come to terms with her brother's death but has been touched by the support she has received from his friends, as 300 people turned up to his funeral last year.

She said: "It was quite overwhelming but also very comforting too. It was nice to know that he was not on his own. I really miss his presence in general and him being around. He was always bouncing and up for a laugh. He was a free spirit who did not let anything hold him back in life.

"There is not one way to describe him because his personality was that big. He didn't let anything hold him back and if he wanted to do something he would do it."

The family managed to raise £500 for mental health charity MIND and Miss Bushell is keen to encourage more people to speak out if they are struggling with depression.

She added: "Not many people talk about their problems and I think Grant was one of them. I want to encourage others to speak out, we need to raise awareness and make more support available so that people can feel like they can talk about their problems."

Hundreds of messages have been left on Mr Bushell's Facebook page since his death, many with the words "rip it up," in reference to the 22-year-old's life motto.