The parents of a young father killed when he jumped off Brighton's Palace Pier while celebrating England's rugby World Cup win have paid tribute to their son.

Anthony Owers, 27, a former lance-sergeant in the Grenadier Guards and a strong swimmer, believed he could make it back to shore after jumping off the pier on Saturday afternoon.

But he got into trouble and was dragged under water.

Friends tried to save Mr Owers by throwing life rings into the cold water as he clung to the pier.

A rescue helicopter plucked him from the sea but he was later pronounced dead at the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

Yesterday, Mr Owers' parents spoke of their devastation at the loss of their son who was "simply the best".

Lynne Owers, 53, said at her home in Fleetwood, Lancashire: "Tony was thrilled to bits England had won the rugby.

"He had been working nights in Brighton and had gone with two colleagues to watch the game after finishing work. The tragic thing is he wanted to watch the game in his hotel room but they couldn't get in until 2pm so they went out.

"Tony was always doing things like this. He once swam across a lake in the Lake District but he would not have done anything reckless."

Mr Owers joined the Army after leaving school and was the youngest guard at the Trooping the Colour in 1993. He served in Canada, Africa and Northern Ireland.

After leaving the Army two years ago, he became a plasterer and had been working on a short-term contract in Brighton when the accident happened.

He leaves a fiance, Sylvia Roberts, 27, and his six-year-old son, Liam.