A GRANDFATHER who died in the Morecambe Bay helicopter tragedy was described as "a hell of a nice bloke and a good family man" by one of his closest friends.

Alfred Neasham was returning to the family he loved, at the end of an eight-day stint working on the rigs over Christmas, when the helicopter crashed into the sea.

The news was broken to his widow, Valerie, at the couple's home in Coxhoe, on the outskirts of Durham City, yesterday morning, where she was comforted by family and friends.

Among the visitors to the detached house - still decked out with the Christmas lights that would have welcomed home the 57-year-old - were Bob Watson and his wife, Rita, who have known the couple for 28 years.

Mr Watson, 61, said: "It is a tragedy, because the bloke is a real hard worker and a good provider for the family.

"He was a hell of a nice bloke and a good family man who loved his children, loved his grandchildren, and was a very good neighbour to us."

Mr Neasham, a Sunderland fan who attended matches at the Stadium of Light when on leave, had two adult children, both of whom are married.

Son Lee, 35, lives in the Newton Hall area of Durham City and has two daughters, aged ten and seven, while Mr Neasham's 31-year-old daughter, Jill Hugill, lives at School Aycliffe, in County Durham, with her one-year-old daughter.

His extended family all live nearby in Coxhoe, including his mother, Sarah, now in her 90s, and his sisters, Betty and Joan, while his brother, Keith, lives in Darlington.

Mr Neasham - known as Mick to his family and wide circle of friends - trained as a fitter and turner, working first at a Spennymoor factory then a local quarry before taking jobs abroad while in his late 20s. After a spell working in the Middle East, Mr Neasham, a fan of Elvis and 60s music, took a job on the Centrica gas platforms in Morecambe Bay 18 years ago.

Mr Watson said the two families had been neighbours in nearby Bowburn and kept in contact after Mr and Mrs Neasham moved to Beechfield Rise about 12 years ago.

An officer from Durham Police, acting on behalf of Lancashire Police, broke the news to Mrs Neasham in the early hours of yesterday.

Mr Watson revealed how he had feared for his friend as the first news reports of the tragedy filtered through.

He said: "We watched the television news in the morning, and when we heard about the crash we wondered if he might be on board - that was the first thing that went through our minds.

"We had to go out to the MetroCentre, and when we were down there his daughter phoned our house and then my son rang us.

"It was such a shock. We are absolutely devastated for his family."