A family has paid tribute to “kind and loving” father and son who died when he was in a collision with a van at the weekend.

Police have named the man who died in the village of Assington, near Sudbury, as 26-year-old Chris Waters.

He was from Roman Way, Haverhill and had a two-year-old son named Oscar.

Officers were contacted by a driver at around 6.20pm on Sunday, who reported she was concerned for a man walking along the A134 at Newton.

Police immediately went to the area to see if the man could be located. Police then received a second call from a driver of a Ford Transit van who reported he had been involved in a collision on the road between Newton and Assington about 6.30pm.

A search began in the area and at around 7.30pm the body of a man was located. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The family of Mr Waters has released this statement: “We are absolutely devastated by the loss of our dear Chris - a kind and loving young man, who was loyal and generous with a big heart and a fantastic sense of humour. He had a wise head on young shoulders and impressed us all with his maturity and determination to be a fantastic father to Oscar. Chris and Oscar loved each other so much and enjoyed every moment they spent together - we keep expecting Chris to walk through the door to delighted screams of ‘My daddy, my daddy!”

“In just 26 years, Chris gave and received more love than many will do in a lifetime. We were proud to call him our son, our brother, our friend. He will leave a huge void in our lives, but our only comfort is that he knew how much we loved him, and how proud we were of him, because we told him every day.”

Chris leaves behind his father Michael, mother Sharon, sisters Kate and Clare and son Oscar.

He went to school at St Felix in Haverhill, then St Louis and St Benedict’s schools in Bury St Edmunds. He was a keen footballer and an Arsenal fan.

He worked as a manager at Chambers bus company, based in Sudbury.

Although police have spoken to a number of people who had been in the area on the evening they are keen to hear from anyone who had been driving along the A134 at Assington and saw Chris walking along the road or witnessed the collision.

Sergeant Bob Patterson from the Joint Norfolk and Suffolk Serious Collision Investigation Team said: “This is a tragic incident and one which will be subject to a full collision investigation. Prior to this incident we received a call from a concerned motorist saying they had seen someone walking along the road.

“Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full details but from the initial information received it would appear the gentleman had been making his way home after spending time out with friends.

“We would urge people to take care on the county’s roads and wherever possible avoid walking along roads where, especially at this time of year, the light can be very dim, even during the daytime.

“We would stress the importance of arranging a lift or using public transport and taxis. If there really is no other option, walk in well-lit areas on pedestrian pathways and wear bright reflective clothing.”

If you can help police with their enquiries relating to this collision call the Serious Collision Investigation Team at Suffolk police by dialling 101.