TRIBUTES have been paid to a popular and caring dad-of-two who died suddenly at the beginning of the Easter weekend.

Adam Hodges was reported missing last Thursday but was found dead in north Herefordshire on Good Friday.

The 36-year-old was a self-employed electrician and lived in Dilwyn with his wife, Helen, and two children, Rupert, three, and Edward who is six-months-old.

Helen, 32, said: "He had a twinkle in his eye. Everyone was fond of Adam. He was very caring. No-one would say a bad word about Adam."

The couple had lived in Dilwyn for around six years and married in the village five years ago on one of the hottest days of the year.

Their three-year-old son Rupert has special needs and Helen said: "He was really good with Rupert. He did everything to try and help him."

Helen's sister, Gill Bayliss, added: "I have never known such dedication to children as these two. They could not have had better parents."

Adam grew up in Kington with brothers, Simon, 39 and Martyn, 27. Adam's dad, Ken Hodges, died when he was young and mum Carol remarried Pete Upshaw, who was best man to Adam at his wedding.

Mum Carol said: "Adam was the easiest child ever - he was very well behaved.

"He did suffer with his depression from the age of 13."

She added: "He was very happy when he was happy. He was very smiley." But she said, despite getting help, he would suffer regularly with depression.

And Carol said even when he was depressed he was worried about everyone else. She said it was "horrendous" for Adam to have to live with it.

She said he was completely devoted to Helen and his sons.

Helen added: "He was really good at speaking about his depression. He was very open about it."

Adam went to Kington Primary School and then to Lady Hawkins' School and had remained good friends with his friends from school.

Gill said he had a brilliant sense of humour and was very much a family man. He loved his nine nieces and nephews.

She added: "You couldn't really get a more caring person. You really couldn't - everybody thought it. He was so well respected and well thought of."

She added: "He was a real people person. He was always putting people at ease. Nobody ever felt awkward around him. He was just so lovely.

"I told him, 'If I could have picked anyone for Helen it would have been you.'"