THE father of the young man tragically killed in a base jumping accident has spoken of his son’s love of the sport that killed him.

Twenty-five-year-old Paul Smith-Crallan died after leaping from a 460ft pylon on marsh land in Swanscombe, while taking part in an adrenaline-charged night-time BASE jump.

His father Tony Smith-Crallan from Wokingham said his son was a genuinely nice young guy who had died doing a hobby he loved.

He added: "It was his passion and he liked a challenge. There is some comfort in knowing he died doing something he really did love.

"The number of people who have said to me that they have lost their best friend is just amazing – he was a very well liked young man with a big circle of friends.

"One of his friends said that he took 50 phone calls from different people in just one day after they found out what happened. He will be greatly missed not just by us but by all his friends as well."

Mr Smith-Crallan said his son had also enjoyed sky diving – which he took up at the age of 16 after leaping from a plane as part of a charity fundraiser in honour of his grandmother who had died from cancer.

He made the switch from sky diving to BASE jumping just seven months ago and had jumped from Blackpool Tower with a friend in January.

He also leaves behind his mother Nicky and younger sister Kate, 22, who he lived with at the family home since returning from travelling in Australia.

Police are carrying out ongoing enquiries as to the circumstances surrounding this incident on Sunday, March 12, although it is not being treated as suspicious at this time.

BASE jumping, which stands for Building, Aerial, Span, Earth, is an extreme sport, popular with adrenaline junkies throughout the world.