HEARTFELT tributes have been paid to former Wiltshire Air Ambulance paramedic Kevin Hitchens who died on Sunday.

The 55-year-old from Warminster was a familiar face in his home town and in Trowbridge thanks to a social media campaign set up last year after he was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and pulmonary fibrosis.

Hundreds of people posted selfies taken in Mr Hitchens' favourite Trowbridge coffee shop on the A Costa For Kev Facebook page to show that they were thinking of him.

After his diagnosis, Mr Hitchens organised several fundraising events, including a charity disco night at the Bell & Crown just two weeks ago, and raised more than £2,000 for the British Lung Foundation and to increase awareness of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Staff at Costa in Fore Street have been remembering a 'good friend'.

Assistant manager Will Goodier, 24 said: “When I started, I didn’t know anyone in the town. I asked Kev if I could sit with him on my lunch break, we got talking and it became a daily thing. Kev would always have a cup of tea with two teabags and we would have his drink ready before he got here.

“His friends here were like his Costa family. He was very much the father figure of the group.”

Mr Hitchens worked for Wiltshire Air Ambulance between 1991 to 2003 and continued to volunteer to work at public events after leaving.

Rich Miller, a critical care paramedic and operations medical support officer at WAA, worked with Mr Hitchens for three years.

He said: “Kevin was a really good friend and colleague. It’s like we have lost one of our brothers and his passing is a sad loss to our profession.

“He managed the paramedics and ran the air ambulance base. In the early days the paramedics were the public face of the charity, giving talks to groups and attending cheque presentations and Kevin loved doing this. Paramedics were not full time on the aircraft at the start of Kevin’s time with WAA and he was instrumental in them becoming full time.

“He was a fair, honest and supportive manager and it was a true honour to work alongside him. He was very dedicated and committed to the ambulance service and Wiltshire Air Ambulance.”

Mr Hitchens leaves two daughters, Emily and Jodie.

Details of his funeral have not yet been released.