THE family of a 13-year-old North Yorkshire boy who died from a single gunshot wound today paid tribute to a "charming and popular boy".

A post-mortem has revealed that William Goodburn Buffey died of a gunshot wound after an incident in Carlton Husthwaite, near Thirsk, on Friday afternoon.

The boy was injured in a disused quarry, in Quarry Banks, the road connecting Carlton Husthwaite with the A19. Emergency services were unable to revive him and he later died at York Hospital.

A statement from his family today said: "William was a happy, gregarious, charming and popular boy at ease with people of all ages. He was very much an outdoor boy, a keen observer of wildlife and the countryside, spending hour after hour fishing in local ponds, streams and on fishing holidays in Scotland.

"William loved skiing and was looking forward to a week's skiing in early March with his father in Austria."

William lived with his parents and sister at Angram Hall, a farm between Carlton Husthwaite and Husthwaite run by his father Richard.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said another person had been helping the police with their inquiries and they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.

Police are now appealing for witnesses who saw two teenage boys near the quarry between 3pm and 5pm on Friday.

A resident of Carlton Husthwaite, who asked not to be named, said he had heard the boy had been "crow shooting" with a friend who also lived in the area.

Pauline Topp, of wrought ironworks company Chris Topp and Co, which is based in the village, said the community was in shock after learning of William's death.

She said: "It's a tragedy, we just can't believe it really. It's awful. I can't imagine what the family are going through. It will take time before the news really sinks in."

Another local resident said: "We are a small close-knit community and we are all offering our support to the family."

Paul Barrett, who runs the Carlton Inn in the village, said he had only taken over the pub three weeks ago and did not know the boy's family.

"It is upsetting. At the moment, we're just leaving the family to grieve," he said.

Updated: 11:17 Monday, February 23, 2004