The mother of Tomasz Oleszak, 14, has paid an emotional tribute alongside her family to her son who died after a stabbing in a North East park.
Kamila Oleszak, mother of Tomasz, and her family have lovingly paid tribute to their son, saying he made her and her husband "proud to be parents."
Thomas sadly died in hospital after an incident at Whitehills Nature Park in Gateshead in the early hours of Tuesday morning, despite the best efforts of medics.
Read more: Tomasz Oleszak: Vigil to be held in Gateshead after stabbing
She said: “Tomasz was an amazing son, a kind and caring role model to his little brother and a great friend to so many.
"As a family we are devastated beyond words.
“He was a talented, smart young man and a brilliant footballer. He had so much potential and his whole life ahead of him. He made us so proud to be his parents.
“We will never stop loving him. The hole left in our lives can never be filled. Our world has changed forever.
“But even in our darkest days, the community has helped us see just a little bit of light.
“We are completely blown away by the support and kindness that has been shown to our family."
She added: “We also want to thank Northumbria Police for their support. We are eternally grateful.
“Thank you so much to all of Tomasz’s friends, our neighbours and everyone for their love and generosity.
“We request that people continue to give us the space we need to grieve.”
Read more: Boy, 14, charged with murder of Tomasz Oleszak
Tomasz’s family continue to be supported by specialist officers from Northumbria Police and the Force strongly encourage everyone to respect their privacy as they grieve their loss.
A 14-year-old boy was last night charged with Tomasz’s murder and appeared at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court this morning.
The investigation is still ongoing and officers remain in the Springwell Estate area at this time.
Anyone with any concerns or information is asked to speak to an officer or contact police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of our website or by calling 101 quoting log NP-20221003-0995.
You can also contact independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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