FAMILY and friends of a student who was found dead in his Liverpool halls of residence today paid tribute to an "infectious spirit".

Jonathan Jayson, 20, from Didsbury, in Manchester, was found dead by fellow students at the city centre Grand Central accommodation block on Wednesday night.

Mum Dinah, 49, said: "Jonny was a star who was loved by so many people. He was a talented guitarist and musician and a gifted writer.

"We have been overwhelmed in the past few days about just how many people have got in touch with us to say what a special person Jonny was. His infectious spirit has certainly been with us in the family home since the tragedy of his death. There has been much laughter in the house despite the tears."

Police are not treating Jonathan’s death as suspicious and his family said a post-mortem examination suggested he died from heart failure.

An inquest was opened last week into the humanities student's death. It is expected to be concluded in January.

Dinah is a consultant child psychiatrist for Trafford NHS Trust while Jonny's dad Gordon, also 49, is a professor of oncology at the Christie Hospital, in Withington. They have two other grown-up children, Jessica, 24, and Joseph, 22.

Jonathan – a former pupil of King David High School, in Manchester – did not drink and there was no suggestion he had been taking drugs.

A funeral service was held at Southern Cemetery on Friday and the Jaysons are expecting to welcome scores of visitors into their home for a wake which runs until Wednesday.

Jonny's college friend, Laura Walsh, who discovered his body on Wednesday night, described him as "one in a million" and "an inspiration".

She added: "I hadn't know Jonny very long but the impact he had on me in such a short period of time was immense and he will always have a place in my heart."

Mum Dinah said her son decided to do an access course at Liverpool Community College in humanities – rather than music – because he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his human rights lawyer grandad.