POLICE have named the young man found dead in a High Wycombe car park as a bright college student from the town.

Eighteen-year-old Christopher Noel, of Benjamin Road, High Wycombe, was found lying at the bottom of Dovecot multi-storey car park, near Sainsbury's in Dovecot Road, with a wound to the head, just after 5am on Tuesday.

His mother Velma said of Christopher: "He was my very special child he was my best friend. There was something special about him but I can't put my finger on it. Chris was loved by everyone he had contact with."

Tributes have been pouring in for the Henley College student who was due to sit his A-level English Language exam yesterday. Peter Allen, vice principal at the college, said fellow students were deeply upset.

He said: "He was in his last year. He was an extremely popular young man with both staff and his peers.

"He was sociable, capable and a very good student with every chance of going on to university. He was a very happy, positive, almost the life and soul of the student group."

Christopher, whose father died in 1988, was also studying A-levels in Psychology and Information Technology.

Christopher was born in High Wycombe and went to Hamilton Combined School in Priory Road.

Headteacher Mike Ashford said he heard the news when he spotted a group of Christopher's friends crying outside the family home.

He said: "Chris was a lovely boy. He was just one of those gregarious people that everyone liked, a very loveable chap with a great sense of humour. None of us have any understanding or belief in how this could have happened to a young man who coped with life so effectively, it's totally out of context."

Christopher attended High Wycombe's John Hampden Grammar School where he gained ten GCSEs.

Headteacher Stephen Nokes said staff remembered a 'very bright' and talented young man who excelled in sports.

He added: "People are very distressed to hear the news and are concerned for his family. He was a very good sportsman who was in the first 11 football team throughout his career."

As well as football, Christopher played county basketball. He also loved garage music and keeping fit, said friends.

Christopher's body was found by a cleaner working for Ecovert at Sainsbury's. Police cordoned off the area and closed Dovecot Road to traffic for the morning as the scene was investigated.

Police are not treating the death as suspicious and are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. A post mortem is to be held tomorrow.

Christopher leaves an older brother, Shane, and an older sister.