Family and friends have paid tribute to a father-of-two and businessman found dead.

David Abberley, 27, a former coffee shop owner, is thought to have taken his own life before he was discovered in a Croydon hotel room.

Ahead of his son’s funeral today, his dad David Abberley Snr, 61, remembered him as “the most kind-hearted man in the world".

He said:“He brought happiness to everyone he knew.”

“Even on the day he died, he was on the phone to a friend offering them advice and cheering them up – that’s just was David did.

“He was so depressed, but never showed it. He always thought of others first and brought happiness to everyone he knew.

"His two children, and everyone who knew him, will remember him for the kind, beautiful man that he was."

Mr Abberley lived with his parents in Clarence Road, Sutton, at the time of his death on March 29.

He had a daughter Skye, six, and son John-James, four.

Mr Abberley ran Bean and Gone coffee shop in Sanderstead train station before selling the business in January.

He was also a keen boxer and member of Rosehill Amateur Boxing Club.

His long-term sparring partner and family friend, Danny Connor, 29, said:“David was born to be a champion of some sort, he was a natural at everything.

“He could well have become a world champion boxer, everyone could see he had a special talent.

“I grew up fighting with him, and he always got the better of everyone in the ring.”

Mr Connor is to dedicate his next fight to Mr Abberley and plans to wear customised commemorative shorts in the ring.

A Facebook page and fundraising page has been set up for those who knew Mr Abberley.

His funeral was set to be held at St Teresa Roman Catholic Church in Morden today.

His dad said: "We are still getting phone calls from his friends from all-over, and the Facebook page is filling up with hundreds of kind messages that reflect just how well-loved and amazing he was.

“He had hundreds of friends, and even those who he originally just served coffee to when he worked at Bean and Gone would come back time and time again, not even for coffee, but just for a chat.”