The heartbroken father of 15-year-old Hassan Hussain who drowned in the River Cherwell said his "special" son was a star, who lit up everything he touched.

Grief-stricken Bashir Hussain said his life would never be the same again after the tragic death of his son, who dreamed of becoming a doctor.

He described Hassan as a lively, kind boy, who only last Saturday had raised hundreds of pounds for the Anthony Nolan Trust by completing a 35-mile bicycle ride around Buckingham Palace.

Mr Hussain said he now planned to go round collecting all the sponsorship money his son had worked so hard to raise.

He said: "He had so much promise and was so full of life. He was very intelligent, he loved sport, especially football, and loved to read.

"He was a special person in the family, but for some reason, these things only seem to happen to special people. His main ambition was to become a doctor and a friend who is a doctor recently gave him a book about medicine, which he read from cover to cover.

"This friend said he had the making of a great doctor and wrote in the book: 'We await your entry to the medical profession'."

Mr Hussain said Hassan was planning to start having swimming lessons in just four weeks' time after he told his father he wanted to improve his skills in the water.

Mr Hussain added: "We were talking a couple of months ago and he said he was not a very good swimmer. There's a chap I go running with at the club in Donnington who said he could give him some lessons. I think Hassan must have just panicked in the river.

"I would urge people to be very careful and take extra care with water. It can be very dangerous, particularly with this hot weather."

Mr Hussain said his son loved music and wanted to take up the violin because he loved the start of the Verve song Bitter Sweet Symphony, which he used to sing in the shower every morning.

Hassan's older brother, Zeeshan, 17, who also attends The Cherwell School, said: "He was loved and he had a lot of great qualities. He used to mess around a bit in school, but he worked very hard. He will be deeply missed."

Other members of the Muslim community also paid tribute to Hassan.

Shah Jahan-Khan, who had known Hassan for more than a decade, said: "He was a very nice boy, very friendly and very chatty.

"I lost my five-year-old daughter four years ago and I know what they are going through. I have been through the same situation. They supported us as a family and we will be there for them."