A WINSFORD family have spoken of their devastation after a 30-year-old man with "a very big heart" was killed in a road accident while he was walking home from a charity fundraiser.

Father-of-two Jason Baker, of Bedford Rise, was walking home to Winsford along the A533 bypass after spending the evening in a Northwich pub when he was in collision with a car travelling along the road in the early hours of Easter Sunday.

Less than a fortnight after the accident, Jason's mum Linda, of Nixon Drive, said that she and her husband Phil, 52, and Jason's partner Amanda Tittensor were "just devastated" by the popular mechanic's death.

Jason - who had lived in Winsford since he was three - was father to Ryan, seven, and Amber, three.

Linda, 50, said: "He would not refuse anyone anything and at the same time he would not ask anyone for anything. He had a very big heart. We are just devastated and we cannot put into words how we feel.

"He had gone to a charity night in Northwich for the John Blower Trust, along with people from Saxon's Pub in Delamere Street.

"He wanted to get home early to Amanda because she wasn't well. But he didn't have enough money for a taxi so he decided to walk rather than just ask anyone for a lift home."

Amanda, 27, said: "We had known each other for 11 years and lived together for 10. We met through Jason's sister Rachel, who I was friends with at high school, but he was a few years older than me.

"He could have a laugh and a joke with you and was brilliant with cars. He was in the Mini Club and got me involved and we went all over the country to events and shows touring in our little Mini together."

Linda said: "From being little he always loved cars and so he got a couple of jobs in garages after school. He decided to go to Mid-Cheshire College in Hartford and did the motor mechanics course.

"He stayed on at the college after that as a voluntary tutor and so he was well-known in Northwich as well.

She added: "I've been amazed by the response of neighbours and members of the public to Jason's death. Lads his age are coming up to the house to give us their condolences.

"You can't go anywhere without someone telling you that they knew him. We'd really like to thank Saxon's Pub and Day Dream Dolls in Clive for their kindness after Jason's death as well.

"Saxon's are organising a fundraising night for Amanda and the family and the people at Day Dream Dolls refused to take any money for an old teddy of Jason's that they repaired when they heard what happened."

rfraser@guardiangrp.co.uk