THE family of 22-year-old John Hathaway have spoken of their devastation after he died in an accident last week.

John, of Bell Avenue, West Drayton, was killed after a car he was in hit a lamp post in Breakspear Road in the early hours of last Wednesday, March 21.

The tragedy is the second for the family - John's brother, Baden, died seven years ago in a car crash at Tesco car park in Uxbridge.

John's dad, George, 50, said: "It's every parents' worst nightmare isn't it? To happen once is just unbelievable. But for it to happen twice...

"Everyone has been so kind to us. Our neighbours have been amazing, even people we don't know have been coming to tell us how sorry they are. And that's all anybody can say. There is nothing else."

John's two sisters, Sarah-Eloise, 26, and Donna, 25, said they were coping by being strong for each other.

Donna said: "We are just pulling together as a family. That's all you can do really. People have been very kind to us.

"My boyfriend, Scott, was John's best friend. We are trying to get through it together.

"John was so well-loved, he was just one of those people that could get on with anybody.

"He loved his guitar and he used to play all the time, really loudly. Sometimes we would even ask the neighbours to complain to make him stop. He even bought his little brother an electric guitar when he was two years old.

"I called John Mr Fix-it'. He was a mechanic and if anybody had anything wrong with their car, he would always sort it out for them. He was a very likeable person and he had so many friends."

Donna said John was very sociable and loved being out with friends.

"He was always in the pub", she said. "He was so well-known and so well liked. The local pub, the Fox and Pheasant, is even going to do his wake for nothing. We were always in there, all together having fun."

John's sister, Sarah, said: "He loved kids as well and they loved him. I have three children and I trusted John with them so much. If ever I needed them to be looked after I would ask John to do it.

"They idolised him. He would throw them up in the air and make them laugh, play football with them and just have fun. He was so happy-go-lucky."

John's mum, Teresa, 53, said: "John was so lovable and funny. And he did love to play his guitar, even though we would tell him to stop. He was very good at it. He was kind and funny - and he couldn't cook at all."

She added: "I don't know how we are coping. When the police came to tell me, I just couldn't believe it. When they told me to sit down I knew, I just knew. I was screaming at them not to tell me, I didn't want to hear it a second time."

John's brother, Shane, just seven years old, said: "He was a very special big brother."

As well as his two sisters and young brother Shane, John had two other brothers, Ryan, 20, and Alan, 18.

John also had a son, who will be three years old in May.

John's funeral will be held in the East Chapel at Breakspear Crematorium on Thursday, April, 5, at 10.30am.