A family have paid tribute to a “beloved” 11-year-old boy who died in a car crash on Boxing Day.

Alfie Mario Aiello-Da Cruz, from Fair Oak, Hampshire, was killed when the Nissan Qashqai he was travelling in hit a barrier on the slip road at junction 11 for Winchester on the southbound M3.

The driver, a 61-year-old man, has been left with potentially life-changing injuries.

Two others in the car, a 48-year-old woman and nine-year-old girl, were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Alfie’s mother and father, Anna and Marcos, and sister, Chloe, said: “Our beloved Alfie. We were so lucky to have you in our lives, giving us brightness, joy, love and happiness.

“Now that you have been taken away from us so suddenly and at such a young age, just 11 years old, we are going to miss you forever.

“We will carry in our hearts your love for all of our lives, until our last breath, and we hope that one day we will meet in God’s heaven to give you the last hug that we wished to have given to you before you left.

“We love you and always will.”

Senior investigating officer Detective Sergeant Mark Furse, of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This is a tragic incident, in which an 11-year-old boy has sadly and so suddenly lost his life.

“We are working hard to understand the exact circumstances, and I want to appeal to anyone with information, particularly anyone with dash cam footage of the vehicle, to make contact with us, and allow us to piece together this young boy’s final moments.

“Anyone with information which may assist us should call 101, quoting the reference 44210516070.”