Family's lament for teenager who died with bandmates and manager in canal plunge

A British indie band and their manager have died after the car they were travelling in plunged more than 80ft into a canal in Sweden.

The four members of Viola Beach and manager Craig Tarry were killed after their vehicle crashed just hours after they had played their first gig outside the UK.

Tributes were paid to the group - whose members were Kris Leonard, River Reeves, Tomas Lowe and Jack Dakin - and Mr Tarry following the accident in Sodertalje, 18 miles from the capital Stockholm, in the early hours of Saturday.

In a statement, the family of Mr Reeves, 19, said: "We are all heartbroken following River's tragic death and the circumstances which have seen him lose his life alongside the band-mates and manager he adored and loved being with.

"Viola Beach were on such an exciting journey and River could not have been happier. He would have loved to have stuck around for the party.

"All River wanted to do was perform and entertain and to think that he will never make us laugh again with his ridiculous impressions and cheeky banter is beyond comprehension for all his family."

Mr Tarry's family said they were "devastated" and "grieving the loss of their son and also for the other families involved in this tragic accident".

They added: "Craig was a warm, loving person who had worked tirelessly to achieve success and follow his dreams within the music industry. He will be sadly missed by his family and his colleagues."