FRIENDS of a student whose body was found in an Oxford stream are bidding to fulfil his lifelong ambition to have heavy metal officially recognised as a religion.

Pals of Matthew Jones want 10,000 people to join a Facebook campaign and then back an official petition.

The body of the 23-year-old Oxford Brookes student was found in the Bulstake Stream, in West Oxford, on November 9. He had been missing for 36 hours.

Under the religious views section on his Facebook profile, Mr Jones had written: “Heavy METAL. It will be a religion.”

Close friend Anni Falk, from East Oxford, said: ”As Matthew’s friends we want to make his biggest dream come true.

“He always wanted heavy metal to become an official religion and this is why we founded the group.

“This really means a lot for all of us because he was a really nice guy.

“There is nothing we can do for him or his family anymore, but we can show them how much we love Matthew and support his dream.

“All our friends in Oxford are very sad, but they still have the strength to spread the word.”

Muhannad Bursheh said: “Heavy metal is already a spiritual phenomenon in our hearts and minds, bypassing all racial, ethnic, and religious differences and struggles, bringing everyone together and making us all brothers and sisters.”

Tara Swinburne said: “I don’t even like heavy metal but I’m changing my religion to this in memory of one of the most amazing people.”

Mr Jones attended Matthew Arnold School, Cumnor, and worked at the Co-op supermarket in Summertown.

The North Hinksey Lane resident was reported missing by his family the morning after he failed to return home from a city centre pub.

Worried friends and family left messages on his Facebook page asking him to get in touch before police divers discovered his body in the river, off Ferry Hinksey Road.

Police are not treating the death as suspicious.

He described himself on his Facebook page as a nice guy who loved to drink at the Gloucester Arms in Friars Entry and in the Purple Turtle in the city centre.

Applications for religious status need to be investigated by the Government’s Charity Commission.

Successful applications can claim tax breaks.

dhearn@oxfordmail.co.uk For more information, visit Facebook.com and search for “Matthew Jones Heavy Metal.”