The 23-year-old former Headlands School pupil was attacked last week as he tried to cut through Moorfield car park, in Bridlington, in the early hours of the morning after a night out with friends.

After a five-day fight for his life in hospital with his family by his bedside, Paul sadly passed away last Friday. Tributes to him have been posted on the Bridlington Free Press website, with friends, family and work colleagues describing their grief over a 'short life taken away too soon'.

Paul's family wrote that words could not describe how they were feeling. "How we are going to get through the next few months we don't know, but knowing everyone is with us will help," they said.

"We all have to fight this cause and make the world a safer place and get justice for Paul and that will keep us going.

"We are the ones with the life sentence and we just have to hope that over time the pain will ease." Paul's family ended their message, 'goodnight Paul, until we meet again'.

His girlfriend, Chloe Morton, 25, described Paul as the "kindest, sweetest and funniest person" she had ever met. "We had so many plans for the future and we were building our lives together," wrote Chloe.

"We had just bought a house together in Driffield. We had plans to visit places around the world and talked about marriage and having children together."

The young couple had lived in their new home together for just two months. Paul's grandma, Phyllis Horne, posted her tribute to a "wonderful grandson".

"I have never, in my long life known pain like this. I know nothing can make it better, but please, for the guilty, make the punishment fit the crime."

Paul worked at Hunprenco engineers in Hunmanby and employer, Jane Kinroy, said he was an 'exceptional and gentle' person. "We are absolutely gutted," said Jane,

"He was the most promising and gifted young man, he would have gone to the top.

"People like that only come round once in a lifetime and in all my working life I have never come across anybody like Paul. We can't say enough about him, he was exceptional," said Jane.

As part of his job Paul liaised with clients from all over the world and messages have been pouring into his work office from Mexico to Australia, with business associates stunned by what has happened to him.

Paul had also been a member of Burton Agnes Football Club since 2005 and although he took a year off the sport last season, he attended training on the Thursday before the attack and was due to continue playing football for them again this year.

"He was such a nice lad," said team manager Terry Finney. "You really wont find anybody who has a bad word to say about him."

A 16-year-old boy has been charged with Paul's murder and appeared at Beverley Youth Court on Tuesday where he spoke only to confirm his name and address.

The youth has been remanded in custody at the Young Offenders Institute in Wetherby until September 16, when he will reappear at Beverley. He is then expected to answer to the charge of murder at Hull Crown Court on September 30.