THE family of a grandad who died after an assault at Butlins have described him as “generous, kind and funny”.

Michael Loughlin, 52 from Barton-le-Clay in Bedford, died at the Royal Sussex County Hospital on June 18 after he was punched in the head at the holiday park in Bognor .

Michael, who was known as “Locky” to family and friends, was involved in an assault at Butlin’s holiday park, Bognor Regis just before midnight on Friday, June 14.

His family have now paid tribute.

They said: “Mick was a beloved partner, father, grandad, brother and uncle.

“He was a man who deeply loved his family and his family loved, doted and depended upon him.

“We are all truly lost without this generous, kind and funny man. He was the person we all went to in times of confusion and he never failed to give the right advice.

“Michael was a dedicated follower of Luton Town Football Club, he was a season ticket holder and was over the moon at their recent promotion.

“To put it simply, Mick lived life to its fullest.

“He never missed an opportunity to try new things and he had so much to live for.

“He achieved a great deal in his life and had so much more he wanted to see and do.

“To find the right words to describe our loss is impossible.

“A piece of our hearts has been lost and can never be replaced.

“We will carry our memories of him in our hearts forever.”

Police are urging anyone who witnessed the assault, in particular anyone who heard the conversation prior to the incident, to get in contact.

Senior Investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector Andy Wolstenholme, said: “There were lots of people in the bar at the time of the assault and we want to speak to everyone who was a witness.

“You could hold a vital piece of information in our investigation that could allow us to fully understand the circumstances surrounding the assault.

“We would particularly like to speak to anyone who heard the conversation Michael was involved in prior to the assault. Were you involved in that conversation?

“We know there are people who can provide this information to us and we are urging them to come forward to us.”

You can also contact the police by telephone on 101 quoting Operation Brockton.