A GRIEVING family has been dealt another tragic blow following the death of a young father whose daughter was killed by boy racers.

The body of Kevin Schwec, from Loftus, was found in a hotel room in Bristol on Monday - the day that would have been his daughter Demi's third birthday.

Demi, aged two, was knocked over as she walked along the pavement in Loftus High Street in September last year.

Believed to be a tragic accident, Avon and Somerset Police were called to the Travel Inn hotel in Haymarket at about 10.30am on Monday.

It is understood that Mr Schwec, 21, who was in court on Friday to see his daughter's killers jailed, had been at the FA Cup semi-final between Newcastle and Manchester United in neighbouring Cardiff the previous day.

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said: "We can confirm that the body of a 21-year-old man from the Teesside area was found in a hotel room.

"Police were called and the body was taken to Frenchay Hospital where he was confirmed dead.

"Police are not treating the death as suspicious and the case has been passed to the South Gloucestershire Coroner."

The Schwec family, including Kevin's father David, mother Jacqueline and brother Michael, from Loftus, are believed to have flown to Bristol. Kevin's partner and mother of Demi, Heather Dass, is thought to have travelled with them.

Demi died after being hit by a car in Loftus High Street on September 9 last year. She hung on to life for a week before she died of head injuries.

Last Friday Kevin Schwec was in court, with his family by his side, to see two men jailed at Teesside Crown Court after admitting causing the youngster's death by dangerous driving.

David Garner, a friend of Kevin's family, was driving a Honda Civic at 50mph as he raced a pal on a motorbike through the High Street. He lost control of the vehicle before ploughing into Demi, who was walking with friends.

Garner was jailed for three-and-a-half years for causing death by dangerous driving while Neil Sullivan, 21, of Westfield Walk, Loftus, was given three years also for causing death by dangerous driving.

In a statement after the court case, the family said: "We will never recover from her loss, she is irreplaceable."

A neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said Kevin worked at TC Industries in Skinningrove, near Loftus.

She said: "It's absolutely terrible. We have always lived next-door to each other. The family have been devastated since little Demi died.

"Kevin was starting to come round a little bit. He was a really nice lad, who loved animals and worked hard."