The family of a 'big friendly giant' who loved spending time with his cousins and playing on his Xbox have paid tribute to the loving man who died aged 29.

Gregory Hunt, who worked as a Warehouseman in Staplehurst, died in his home in Upper Fant Road in Maidstone in October.

He was born in Canning Town in London but briefly moved to the county town at the age of 15 where he lived with his grandmother Shirley Jarrett.

It wasn't until he was 21 he moved to Kent permanently and briefly lived with his father Tony Jarrett, 51, before moving in with his uncle Chris Jarrett, 42, and aunt Sara Hunt, 40, and their twins Ellie and John, both 14, in Charlton Street.

Remembering the man who was like a son to her, Sara Hunt, said: "We all became so close and he was like an older brother to my twins.

"He was the best cousin, he taught them to ride their bikes and took them to the park. Even when he moved into his own place they would go round at the weekends and he would always spoil them.

"His life was work, Xbox and family, but he also loved drum and bass music and my partner is a DJ and we would often go to gigs together."

At an inquest in County Hall on Tuesday, January 26, coroner Bina Patel concluded the death was by misadventure.

Mr Hunt had been working at Staplehurst Transit loading up delivery vans for more than three years.

Miss Hunt added: “He used to work long hours but he loved it so he didn't mind.

"He had so many friends there and because he used to talk about my twins so much, when he died the boss thought it would be a nice idea to do a collection.

"They raised so much for the kids and Greg's brother Little Tony who's 12, and we would like to say thank you to them for that."

When the pandemic eased, Mr Hunt, who also liked playing chess, going shooting and building sheds with his father, had plans to learn to drive and get a mortgage as something to look forward to in the future.

On June 15 this year, Mr Hunt would have celebrated his 30th birthday. If Covid restrictions allow, the family hope to mark the occasion by putting on a memorial celebrating his life.

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