TRIBUTES have been paid to a York artist and engineer who has died.

Tom Riley, 33, of Ogleforth, was a sculptor and engineer with a huge range of interests including bicycles, archaeology, and steam engines.

He was found hanged on April 19.

Tom's work appeared in The Press on the day he died - he had created a Frankenstein bike made up of the parts from other cycles, which was called Jabberwocky. It featured in an event at the National Railway Museum encouraging people to donate their unwanted bicycles for an event over the May Bank Holiday.

Tom came to York in 1999 to study archaeology at the university, which is where he met his close friend Sue Archer.

He was a member of the Student Union Archaeological Society and when helping to arrange a dig in the Orkneys he chose to cycle there.

When Tom left the University of York, he continued to follow his love of bikes and went to work for the locally-based Company Of Cyclists which promotes cycling to local authorities.

Sue paid tribute to him.

She said: "He was a modest man, who perhaps failed to fully appreciate how valuable his talents were and how much affection he was held in. He was always ready to help friends, in any practical or emotional way he could, despite his own health problems.

"He remained witty and amusing with a talent for telling stories and encouraging others to achieve their potential. He will be deeply missed."

Ill health forced Tom to quit full-time work, but he continued to do what he could.

He worked with Specialbikes, of Bishopthorpe - which has since closed - to supply bikes to people with special needs and also regularly contributed to Velovision magazine which is published in the city.

Sue said Tom had an ability to absorb himself in a subject and then impart that knowledge to others. She said as well as mechanical things he also loved wordplay and exploring language and appreciated a wide range of music.

His friend and colleague Andy Scaife, of Cycle Tracks, also paid tribute to him.

He said: "He was a quirky genius who could think the unthinkable and ride the result. He will be missed throughout the world of cyclists, steam engines, vintage Citroens and far beyond.

"Idiosyncratic is a word that comes to mind. He was offbeat, he did not think in straight lines. He was innovative. He was definitely a doer. While people were talking about what they would do Tom would go into the workshop and do it.

"He was an enigma, he had so many interests, archaeology, bicycles, steam engines."

An inquest into Tom's death was opened and adjourned on April 23.

His funeral will be held on May 8 with mourners invited to join a cycle procession to the crematorium.