JONATHON BARBERTributes have been paid to a Staffordshire University student, Jonathon Barber, whose body was found in a river on 4 March, 2008.Mr Barber, 18, disappeared in the early hours of Saturday, 1 March, 2008, during stormy weather as he walked to his home in Downham Market, Norfolk, along the River Ouse. He had been on a night out with friends. His body was found at around 11.30am by members of Norfolk Police's diving team as they searched the river. Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.The teenager, who was known as Jonno, was studying computer-generated animation in Stoke-on-Trent. He had returned to Norfolk from university for the weekend, so he could spend Mother's Day with his mum Carolyn, and meet up with friends.He was walking along the riverbank just behind his cousin, 19-year-old Owen Dixon, when he disappeared. The family said Mr Barber had asked his cousin for a light for a cigarette, but when he turned around to give it to him, Mr Barber had gone.During the days following his disappearance, an extensive search of the area was conducted by police, HM Coastguard, an RAF search and rescue helicopter, Norfolk Fire And Rescue and voluntary lowland search and rescue teams from Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. Many of Mr Barber’s friends and family also joined the search.His parents Nick and Carolyn said they were overwhelmed by the number of volunteers that wanted to help look for their son. Police found a trainer and a beanie hat thought to belong to Mr Barber, in the days before his body was discovered.Staff at Staffordshire University spoke of their sadness at Mr Barber’s death. A spokesmansaid: "Jonathon was a popular student and all the staff and students who knew him are very upset, and all our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time."Sam Wane, a senior lecturer in applied technology,taught Mr Barber. He said: "Although Jonathon was fairly quiet in class and preferred to work alone on his projects in the laboratory, he was well liked and gained respect from the other students. He meticulously designed and built a drum-playing animatronic robot and enthusiastically presented it to the rest of the class. He was progressing well with his studies and showed promise with animatronics."
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