TRIBUTES have been paid to a former Oxford Union president who died during a gap-year in the Middle East.

Friends said Edward Tomlinson, 24, died from a blood clot while in Lebanon, where he had gone for a year to improve his French and learn Arabic.

Mr Tomlinson, known to friends as Eddie, graduated from St John's College last year with a 2:1 in classics.

He served in the sought-after post of president of Oxford University's prestigious debating society in 2004, and is said to have had ambitions of becoming an MP.

He was one of the first people since former Tory leader William Hague to jointly hold the position at the same time as being president of Oxford University Conservative Association.

In a personal website message, one of Mr Tomlinson's friends from Oxford University said he was "one of the sweetest, most unassum- ingly brilliant people I've ever met".

Posting details of Mr Tomlinson's death on Oxford Gossip website, another friend Peter Shutt said: "Eddie T will be sorely missed."

Mr Tomlinson's parents Dr Heather and Dr Howard Tomlinson had flown to Beirut earlier this month for a holiday with their son.

But when they arrived they were met by embassy officials who informed them he had died hours earlier.

His mother is a teacher at Hereford Cathedral School, where he was a student, and his father recently retired as the school's headmaster.

Dr Tomlinson said his son had a large circle of friends, was fit and sporty, and had "touched many lives".

He was a member of the university's cricket club during his studying.

Mr Tomlinson, who was born in Reading, kept in close contact with friends during his stay in Lebanon.

He told one in a message: "The French and Arabic are making rather slower progress than I would like, but I have lots of charming Francophone-types in my classes.

"They are very nice and we get along perfectly, but I fear we are not as one politically.

"After class today one of them said that he wanted there to be a European head of state ruling the whole continent."