THE mother and sisters of a computer expert who collapsed and died in Witney have paid tribute to him.

IT worker Grant Bennett, 42, had spoken to his mother Jean, 82, who he lived with in Gloucester Place, just half an hours before he collapsed and died in Church Lane.

Mr Bennett was born in Minster Lovell and moved to Witney 26 years ago. He was the youngest of five with four sisters – Norma Bounds, 60, Marilyn Vernon, 58, Deborah Beck, 54, and Rosanna Richards, 50.

Last night, mum Mrs Bennett said: “We always said that he had four extra mothers. No matter what he did wrong when he was young, one of us would always stand up for him.”

Although Mr Bennett, who had a long-term girlfriend in Germany, had no children, his sister Rosanna said he loved his nieces and nephews.

She added: “We have all got children and grandchildren and it didn’t matter what age they were, he got on with them.

“I brought my granddaughter here, who is two years old, to meet him and when he came in the door he said ‘hello’ and she was petrified, but within five minutes he was playing with her and they played for about two hours – he had a way with kids.

“My third daughter was into similar music that he was and they would always talk about that – it just seemed that he had a way with everybody, no matter what age.”

Hundreds of people have joined a memorial page set up on social networking site Facebook, while messages and flowers have been left by a tree in Church Lane.

The former Burford School pupil used to work at House Wong, in High Street, and as a barman at the Hollybush, in Corn Street.

His sister Norma said: “We didn’t realise how many friends he had. He didn’t bother about himself, it was always other people that he looked after.”

Mr Bennett, who died on May 24, worked for the past 20 years for the Vale of White Horse District Council as an ICT support assistant.

His sister Deborah said computers were one of her brother’s main interests. She said: “He was a whizz kid with computers, all self-taught, right from a young age.”

Mr Bennett was also a big fan of music acts Nightwish, Blondie, Iron Maiden and Alice Cooper.

His mum said: “He always loved music. He used to have it on so loud. I used to say ‘can’t you turn it down?’ and he would say ‘I will turn it down a bit’. Now I would give anything for it to be loud again.”

Mr Bennett moved back in with his mother when father Les died three years ago.

His funeral will be held on Friday at 11.15am at Oxford Crematorium. People are asked to dress casually.

Following Mr Bennett’s death, a 33-year-old man from Witney was arrested on suspicion of harassment and possession of class A drugs. He has been bailed until Sunday, June 20, to appear at Abingdon police station.

witney@oxfordmail.co.uk