A teenager who died after crashing his father's sports car was a budding DJ with ambitions to become a pilot.

Jamie Cassar's family paid tribute to the 17-year-old, describing him as adventurous and outgoing.

They told how he had just finished his GCSE exams and was DJing to packed pubs and private parties.

His mother, Ilona Cassar, 43, said: "Jamie had an incredibly full life and had already done so much.

"He worked so hard and was such a good student. He wanted to do well for himself and wanted to go on and become a pilot."

Jamie died when he lost control of his father's Mercedes and hit a telegraph pole just yards from the family home in Hartfield, near Crowborough.

A 17-year-old friend from Crowborough who was in the car suffered serious head injuries and is in Kent and Sussex County Hospital in Tunbridge Wells.

Mrs Cassar, who is an intensive care nurse at the hospital, is trying to come to terms with the accident while her colleagues work to save her son's friend.

The mother-of-two said: "He played hard but worked extremely hard and was well known in the school. He was very talented and outgoing.

"He was very conscientious at school and got excellent GCSE results and had just finished his AS exams.

"His AS-level results will come through in the summer, which will be very difficult.

"He was terribly popular but would also look out for other people.

"He would take the weaker children and stand by them and make sure they were part of the group. The tributes are growing and growing."

Her husband Gregory Cassar, 46, told how his son had been driving since an early age.

He said: "He was a fully qualified driver by the age of 13 and had been driving with me on private land before his feet could even reach the pedals.

"He had the chance to drive a big shiny car. This was a young, foolish mistake and he has paid with his life.

"The police said perhaps an animal went into the road and caused him to swerve but we'll never know what happened.

"He was looking towards getting a private pilot's licence. He had been flying from the age of ten and had an aptitude for it from a very early age.

"The one thing he was not was a reckless and wild teenager. He was charitable by nature and spirit and only wanted the best for everybody.

"He was also very keen on the DJ stuff and recently said he wanted to make us proud so he would not be a DJ but whichever way he wanted to go, we would have been proud of him.

"There is no getting through this but the overwhelming response we've had to this young man's life has been absolutely fantastic."

Nigel Bullock, who was head of school when Jamie was at Beacon Community College, said: "My lasting memory of Jamie will be his smile and the way he calmly went about his day-to-day routine.

"He never wanted to make trouble for anyone else. I will miss him more than I can say."

The funeral will be held at the St Mary the Mother of Christ Church, Crowborough, tomorrow at 1.30pm.

Witnesses or anyone with information about the accident, which happened in the early hours of last Monday, should call Sergeant Paul Skinner at Polegate station on 0845 6070999 quoting Operation Parable.