A mother has paid tribute to her “vibrant” and “popular” son who took his own life.

Caleb Quaye, son of 90s musician Finley Quaye, who lived in Hove, was a budding musician and singer in a band.

The 24-year-old died on July 7 this year, the day after he played a gig at The Folklore Rooms in North Street, Brighton.

In an inquest into his death held today in the city, the court heard that the young musician had been “struggling”.

In written evidence read at the inquest, his mother Mercedes Gutierrez said his band “did not go as far as he wanted it to go”.

“He had learned to calm his mind through yoga but he was battling with himself," she said.

“His girlfriend had split up with him two days before.”

In the early hours of the morning before his death, he came to talk to his mother.

“He seemed spaced out and I wondered if he had taken anything,” his mother’s statement read.

Caleb was “dramatic and liked attention,” Ms Gutierrez said. “He took things hard when he messed up and had ups and downs.”

The court heard that Caleb had had a close relationship with his paternal aunt Annia Summers and had spoken with her about a GP appointment he was due to have on July 7.

“The week he died we had talked a lot,” his aunt said in written evidence.

“We were planning a joint trip to Yorkshire and Robin Hood Bay and a trip to the music festival Womad later that month.”

Ms Summers had spoken to Caleb at around 1am on the day of his death.

“I truly had no sense of what was soon to happen.”

In evidence given by Caleb’s GP, the court heard that the young musician had been referred to psychiatry and was due for an examination on July 7.

Sussex Police confirmed that they had been called to Caleb and his mother's flat in York Place, Hove, at 7.13am on July 7 when his mother had found him dead.

His death is not considered suspicious, police said.

A toxicology report found Caleb had been “moderately intoxicated” at the time of his death and had cocaine and its metabolites in his system at levels “typically seen during recreational use”.

At Woodvale Coroners Court, area coroner Joanne Andrews concluded that his death was suicide.