A FAMILY have paid tribute to a caring and loving dad who enjoyed making other people laugh.

Ashley George, 39, of Redhill was found dead in Villa Street in Hereford on Sunday after police launched a missing person’s appeal.

His fiancée, Shelley Price, 35, and mum and dad, Beverley and Steve George, have paid tribute to their "smashing lad."

Shelley and Ashley had been together for almost 20 years. When they met Ashley took on Shelley's daughter, Paige, 19, and they went on to have Leah, 17 and Jacob, 12.

Sadly in 2012 their baby son died shortly after birth and they named him Ashley Junior.

Shelley said: "He just loved being at home with me and the kids. We just loved being together. We loved going to the beach."

Ashley grew up in Newton Farm and was very close to his younger brother, Daniel, 35.

Steve said: "He was a smashing lad. He was always independent, always wanted to be different.

"He didn't like rules. He would take his tie off as soon as he got out of the door to go to school."

Ashley went to Our Lady's Catholic Primary School and then to St Mary's RC High School in Lugwardine.

He used to write poetry and was good at art and running. He loved going to the gym and went two or three times a week.

He started cleaning windows with his uncle when he was 15 and then carried on the profession for the rest of his life, working for different companies along the way. Around 18 months ago he set up his own window cleaning business.

Beverley said: "He just loved life. He really did. He got the most out of it. He was a very positive person.

"He always wanted to look on the bright side of life which is a bit of an irony."

Ashley suffered with depression for a long time and the family wish he had been able to get more help than he was offered. They said they know resources are limited but believe there is not enough help for people suffering with mental health issues and they wish to raise awareness of this.

He went missing on the Wednesday evening and he is thought to have been alive until the Sunday, when he was found dead in a public space.

Beverley said: "He was so meticulous. I think he was a perfectionist. He was striving for perfection and no-one is perfect.

"He knew he was loved but I don't think he knew how much or by how many."

She said he had a wicked sense of humour and used to have the family in stitches.

Steve added: "He was a lovely, caring person."

Shelley added: "He loved me like I loved him. He was always supportive and he was always there."