Tributes to ‘bright light’ James after Leeds Festival tragedy

James Houghton, 19, who was due to start at university, died after collapsing on Sunday night at the event at Bramham Park.

He was taken to the site’s medical tent but paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

West Yorkshire Police said it was investigating his death, which they are treating as “unexplained” but not suspicious.

His parents Pete and Paula are thought to have been on holiday when they found out and are now at home with daughter Jenny.

Tributes were pouring in for the young music-lover, from Hartlepool, yesterday.

James, known as Chippy to friends, played in a rock band, Coalition, which was mentored by creative talent-nurturing charity Red Dreams.

Founder Dawn McManus said everyone was in shock but took some comfort from the fact he had spent a happy weekend enjoying the music he loved.

She said: “He was really lovely lad - very sociable, happy and funny. He played tricks on his mates quite a lot. He was a great musician as well.”

Mrs McManus, who formerly worked with James’s mother at Hartlepool’s Manor College - which he attended - said they were a “lovely family”.

Headteacher Anne Malcolm also paid tribute to the “popular and extremely intelligent” student, who was one of the highest achievers when he left in 2010.

“James was a bright light who will be greatly missed,” she said.

He had been due to go to Manchester University next month.

An inquest into his death will be opened after a post-mortem.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “Officers working at the festival were called to the on-site medical facilities on Sunday at 11.22pm following his collapse elsewhere on the site.

“The man was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene.

“Police are not treating the death as suspicious at this time.”

Festival organisers said their thoughts and sympathies were with his family and friends.

News of the tragedy emerged a day after it was revealed a baby - now understood to be a boy - was born at the festival.

It has been speculated that the new mother did not know she was pregnant until she went into labour but organisers could not confirm the rumours.

A site steward told the Yorkshire Post she understood medics came to the aid of the woman after she began suffering abdominal pains in her tent late on Friday night and into the early hours of Saturday.

“We found out about the birth of the baby the morning after it was born. We were all so delighted and amazed,” she said.