Tributes have been paid to a ‘fun-loving’ schoolboy who died suddenly after falling ill from a cold virus.

Paul Lockwood, who would have been celebrating his 16th birthday today, died after battling against a virus that attacked his heart.

His family are now struggling to come to terms with his death, and have placed a tribute to the teenager on the Gone Too Soon website in his honour.

Paul’s aunt, Sue McGowan, said: “Everyone is devastated. Paul was always smiling, always entertaining and everyone who knew him will miss him so much. “He put up a really brave fight but there was nothing that could be done in the end. We are just grateful for all the special times we have had with him.

“It would have been his birthday today and we would have been out together celebrating, probably at the weekend. Instead, we are trying to come to terms with what has happened. It still seems such a shock. He really did touch a lot of lives.”

Paul fell ill last September after complaining of feeling dizzy and sick while staying with his grandmother, Margaret McGowan.

Within a day, the happy-go-lucky teenager, who had always been fit and well, was rushed to Airedale General Hospital in Steeton.

Doctors confirmed he had an irregular heartbeat and he was transferred to Leeds General Infirmary the following day.

However, his condition rapidly deteriorated and within a day he was rushed by ambulance to a specialist cardiac hospital in Leicester where he was put on a ventilator which supplied him with oxygen-rich blood.

Doctors told his parents, Liz, 46, of Ben Rhydding, and Trevor, 48, of Burley-in-Wharfedale, that Paul was suffering from myocarditis – an inflammation of the heart muscle – and had a one in ten chance of survival. Although Paul had never suffered from heart problems, the condition, doctors said, could have been caused by a common cold virus which may have lain undetected in his system for some time.

He was immediately put on the heart transplant list and transferred to the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle where he was put on an artificial heart machine.

But, within days, his organs began to fail. An MRI scan later confirmed a blood clot on his brain and doctors gently told his family there was nothing more they could do. He was pronounced dead on Tuesday, October 28.

Sue said: “Paul wouldn’t have wanted to be kept alive, not able to do what he loved to do.”

Following his funeral at The Parish Church of St Mary the Blessed Virgin, last Thursday, Sue posted a dedication to her nephew on the Gone Too Soon website.

Paul, who had an older brother Adam, 19, was described as a popular pupil at Ilkley Grammar School where friends and fellow pupils were said to be stunned by the news of his death.

Some of them made a short film, dedicated to the youngster, which they placed on the video sharing website Youtube.

A spokesman for the school said: “Paul was a thoughtful and gentle young man. He had a great sense of humour and showed kindness to those who worked with him. Paul was very accepting of young people with different needs and had a tolerance and maturity beyond his years. It is particularly sad that Paul was at the point in his life when he was making real strides forward with his future plans and career choices. He will be sadly missed.”