The father of a pilot found hanged at the family’s home near Keighley has paid tribute to his “loving and considerate” son.

The body of Oliver Lee, 29, was discovered in a stable at the Morton Lane, East Morton, house on Sunday afternoon.

He was found by a Jet2 colleague, who had become concerned when Mr Lee had failed to turn up for a pre-arranged meeting and called at the property.

Mr Lee formerly worked for the Manx2 airline but left to join Jet2 and was training to fly 737s.

Just days after he left Manx2 in February, the plane he used to fly crashed in Cork, in the Republic of Ireland, killing six people, including the pilot.

“That affected him profoundly,” said his dad David.

“He was shocked and felt a huge burden of guilt that it ‘should have been him’.

“But we had no warning at all of what was to come. We are devastated.”

He added that Oliver and his girlfriend of more than five years, Katie Long, had been talking about marrying and starting a family once he had settled into his new job.

Mr Lee was born at Airedale Hospital, at Steeton, near Keighley, and grew up locally – at Micklethwaite, Riddlesden and then Bingley.

He attended Keighley Prep School and Bradford Grammar before studying foreign languages for four years at Nottingham University.

He flew freight planes for a Spanish airline before joining Manx2.

Mr Lee, whose mother died five years ago, has a 21-year-old sister, Harriet.

An inquest into his death was due to be opened in Bradford this morning.

The funeral service will be at St Luke’s Parish Church, East Morton, next Thursday, at 11am.