The family of car lover Dean Gosley, who died in a road accident last week, say they are overwhelmed by the support shown by friends.

Within hours of the death of the former pupil of Chippenham's Hardenhuish School, more than 500 people contributed to a memorial.

In a statement on Facebook, the family told well-wishers: "You are the reason we can smile when we think of Dean, for it is you who are providing an insight into Dean's life that we never saw or knew - and we love it.

"Of course he was special to us, as all our sons are, but the love and affection you are all displaying for Dean is so deep and strong we know he must surely feel it."

Mr Gosley, 27, who ran Audio and Visual Solutions in Chippenham, died last week after a car crash.

His funeral will be held today at 2.30pm in St Paul's in Chippenham, followed by cremation at Semington at 4pm. As the route to the crematorium passes the scene of the accident near Lacock, the family have asked for flowers to be left there in tribute.

His dad Dave, who lives in Basingstoke, said he had been overwhelmed by tributes.

"If it wasn't for all the messages, tributes and stories about Dean, I would be in a pit of desperation," he said.

"Dean was taken from us at such a critical time. In the last two years we saw so many changes in Dean. He had started his business and it was going from strength to strength, and he had become much more of a man.

He described his son as a "bit of a rascal" and said that stories were emerging that the family would never have known.

"Although I wouldn't condone them all, knowing he touched so many people's lives is a great comfort," he said.