FRIENDS have paid tributes to a “big character with an amazing sense of humour” who died from a brain injury.

Kevin Morris, who was partially blind, was described as a kind-hearted and humorous man.

He fell over and hit his head in a club while on a night out last year.

The 57-year-old was loved by many in his community, so much that he was chosen to be the ambassador for The Bevy pub near his home in Moulsecoomb, Brighton.

His friend Peter Hartley said: “He had such an amazing sense of humour.

“He used to put half pennies and old coins in the pub collection to confuse whoever was counting it for a laugh.

“He was a big character.”

Mr Hartley said Mr Morris used to line-up eight “Sambuca shots”, drink seven of them in a row and make him drink the last one.

Little did he know they were all filled with water apart from the eighth, which contained alcohol.

Warren Carter, chairman of The Bevy said: “Kevin was a fantastic ambassador for the pub and it’s not the same without him.

“There were between 200 and 300 people at his funeral which is testament to how loved he was.

“Despite all the things that life threw at him he had the most fantastic attitude to life.”

Mr Morris fell and hit his head after drinking in Shoosh nightclub in King’s Road, Brighton, on October 26, an inquest heard.

Staff called an ambulance at about 4am and he was taken to Royal Sussex County Hospital.

He was kept in intensive care, but died a few days later on November 1.

Mr Morris had recently lost his mother, his vicar and his job. He used to work at Sainsbury’s but following a stroke in 2015 his sight was impaired, affecting his employment.

Although he was a regular drinker, attending a nightclub was out of character.

His family asked the police to look further into his death.

But Detective Sergeant Mick Richards attending the inquest, held at Brighton and Hove coroners court in Woodvale, Brighton, said he was satisfied there were no third parties involved.

Mr Morris was known to be a bit unstable on his feet when drinking, and CCTV footage in the club showed him stumble on one occasion before his fatal fall, the court heard.

Brighton and Hove assistant coroner Gilva Tisshaw said he died from a severe traumatic brain injury which was caused by falling over and hitting his head.

She said: “I consider Mr Morris’s fall was a consequence of alcohol consumption and mobility issues.”