A LIFELONG friend has paid tribute to a “life and soul” 56-year-old who tragically died "falling down hole" just a week after his birthday.
Andrew Barker, of Highgate Road, in Clayton Heights, was found dead at a Northern Gas Networks site in the same road he lived on, on Monday morning.
One resident from the area said Andrew had “fallen down a hole” and when the Telegraph & Argus visited the scene yesterday a number of barriers had blown over and openings in the road were visible.
The tragic event provoked a huge emergency response – from police, fire and ambulance – and West Yorkshire Police was called to the scene at 7.18am.
Tribute to 'charismatic' and 'loving' Bradford man
Richard Elliott, who wrote children’s book The Goblin of Oxenhope and now lives in France, grew up with Andy from the age of three, in Kenley Parade, Bradford.
He described his best friend - who celebrated his birthday on January 13 - as being Bradford “born and bred”.
Mr Elliott said: “He was then (growing up together) and has always been the life and soul around anyone, everyone and everywhere he touched and was present.
“You meet very few people in your life who mean so much to you!
“Andy was this person to me, a funnier person you could not meet. A real character for sure!”
He added: “He was highly intelligent, professional, charismatic, loving, lucky for me, my best friend! I will miss him very much.”
Andrew had recently retired from the NHS, after beginning his career as a student nurse in Bradford, before serving West Yorkshire as a cancer nurse at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI), where he worked on new drug introduction.
He was father to two “wonderful daughters”, one of whom has followed in his footsteps after graduating as a nurse, while the other completed a degree at the University of Manchester.
Mr Elliott said: “How very special!
“He also loved his mother who lives in Queensbury.”
Andrew had an appetite for life and enjoyed a variety of different pastimes – with music one of his big passions - as well as being much-loved in the community.
Mr Elliott said: “We went to Sweden for my 50th, it was probably one of the best times we had together, we completed the Surströmming challenge, without him there it would have been nothing!”
He added: “We travelled the country watching Bradford Northern/The Bulls with Lee, my dad, and Brian, sometimes attending the cup final after parties - he always found a way in.
“He was always a passionate Man U fan and was a season ticket holder with his dad and brother in the past.
“We played cricket together at Fields, he was a great supporter of Jer Lane.”
Cricket 'devastated' by loss of long-serving member
Jer Lane Cricket Club, in Horton Bank Top, was one of the places Andrew spent a lot of his time, beginning his association with the club in the eighties, according to former secretary and chairman Jonathan Waddington.
Mr Waddington said: “Just to say from the cricket club’s perspective, we are so devastated to hear of Andy's passing in such tragic circumstances.
“Andy had a great dry sense of humour and was always willing to do what he could to support the club.
“We are indebted to him for many hours of dedication as well as lots of laughs and his passing will be very hard to take for some of our long-serving members and players.”
Andrew – dubbed “Mr Reliable” by Mr Waddington - had become more heavily involved with the club in the last 10 years and was a committee member and Jer Lane’s league umpire representative.
Mr Waddington, who stepped down from heading the club last November to focus on the groundsman role, said those positions had “really helped” Andrew with struggles in his life over the past four or five years and described him as being “loved locally”.
He added: “He was a great guy, he supported all our charity events, often running the barbeque, raffles.
“He couldn’t do enough, he was that sort of person, a very selfless person.”
Mr Elliott hopes a full investigation will be conducted into the circumstances of his friend’s tragic death.
He said: “I really hope the people who could have prevented this tragedy are held to account if mistakes have been made.
“He died near his home at Highgate Road, aged 56, with his whole life in front of him."
Russel Kaye, Operations Manager, Northern Gas Networks said yesterday: “We were made aware that a body had been found at a Northern Gas Networks site on the Highgate Road in the Queensbury area of Bradford at 7.32am today (Monday 22 January).
“The safety of members of public and our engineers is our priority and we’re supporting West Yorkshire Police with their ongoing investigations.”
Meanwhile, West Yorkshire Police said the death is not being treated as “suspicious” and “a file will be prepared for the coroner in due course”.
Mr Elliott said: “He died near his home at Highgate Road, aged 56, with his whole life in front of him.
“R.I.P., my sincere condolences to all his many friends and family!”
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