THE parent of a 20-year old man from Thornbury who was killed in a cycling accident have given a moving tribute to their son, calling him 'a loving, polite, well-mannered lad in the prime of his life'.

Robert Shaul died on November 3, after it was believed he was involved in a collision with a lorry on the A403, when travelling home from working at Burger King at the Moto services in Aust.

Robert, who was raised in Thornbury and went to school at Crossways and Marlwood, had been cycling to the caravan park in Pilning where he was living at the time.

His father Dave Shaul described him as “a strong character and a pleasant young man, with a heart of gold and a beautiful smile.”

The family, who live in Thornbury, have also paid tribute to the many people that have given them support over the past few weeks and spoke of a wonderful send-off at his funeral last week at Memorial Woodlands in Earthcott Green.

“We wanted his funeral to be a celebration of his life more than anything else,” said Robert’s mother Sue Shaul.

“Robert loved the rain, so it was almost poetic that it rained non-stop through the ceremony.

“He wasn’t really religious, so we wanted everything to be more relaxed and for people to enjoy his memory.”

Mr Shaul added: “While we couldn’t bury him in the Lamborghini he always wanted, we were able to bury him with some meaningful items.

“His friends left him a hip flask full of Jack Daniels, and we put in the book he was reading at the time. It was quite a long one so we figure it will take him some time to finish it.”

Robert’s sister Chantelle Shaul, who has recently learned she is pregnant, also put in a scan picture of the baby.

She said: “My brother was a strong character and stood by you no matter what, he was proud of what he had and loved everything he did.

“He was strong willed and had a strong heart, our family will never be the same will always be loved and always missed.”

Mrs Shaul said: “The service was lovely and it was incredible to see how many people turned up to show their support and pay their respects.

“Six of his closest friends volunteered to be pallbearers and they did a fantastic job.”

She added: “The people at Moto where Robert worked sent us a lovely letter, complimenting on what a lovely boy Robert was.

“They also sent a cheque for £500 to donate to St Mungo’s homeless centre, which is a charity Robert supported.

“Given he had only been working there a few days, this was such a reflection of the kind of person he was.”

Mr Shaul said: “He didn’t always have much himself, but would be there to help anyone if they needed it.”

“He once came out of a shop to see a homeless chap with a dog. He promptly went back in and bought the man a can of dog food. It was the kind of person he was.

“We also received a £335 charity donation from our neighbours on the Paddocks in Thornbury which was fantastic. It shows in times like this that people are prepared to rally together and really means a lot to us.”

A Facebook page set up in Robert’s memory has also received a great number of tributes that have poured in from friends and family.

A police spokesperson has stated that the investigation is currently ongoing.