Tributes have been paid to the man found dead in his car in the sea in old Leigh.

Resident Greg Chapman said the man who died was called Phil, but known as “Spongy" around Benfleet.

It is thought he was aged in his forties or fifties and had recently lost his pet dog Todd, who he was close to.

Mr Chapman, from Benfleet, said: “Phil, known as Spongy, was a well-known man. Todd, his dog, was his best friend, I imagine losing him pushed him over the edge.

“If you go into any pub in Benfleet, especially the Half Crown or Tavern, you will get plenty of comments about him and meet people who know him.

“He was a friendly, nice bloke who took his dog everywhere.”

Onlookers were left shocked by the dramatic scenes at Bell Wharf on Friday morning.

Clive Brumage, 51, was sleeping in a boat moored to the wharf when he was woken up by emergency services.

He said: “The car looks to have just flopped over the side.

“When I woke up my turning circle was full of emergency vehicles and the air ambulance was hovering overhead. It landed on the beach.

“There were loads of emergency service vehicles and specialist rescue boats down here.”

The seafront area in Leigh from Bell Wharf was cordoned off throughout Friday morning as heavy machinery dredged the car out of the sea.

Bill Levy, who works at the nearby Mayflower pub, said: “It’s so very tragic, very sad.

“I got down here at 9.30am and there were loads of police cars and ambulances. There was also a large rescue vehicle down here – there was a lot of gear here.

“I wondered what the blazes was going on.

“You had people trying to get into the fish shop and police telling them they couldn’t go any further.”

A spokesman for the Thames Coastguard confirmed that crews were sent to the scene, but the incident was dealt with by the fire and police services.

They were stood down at about 11.30am.

Pub is in mourning

 

A PUB is in mourning after losing a regular, described as “part of its furniture”.

The man found in a car in the estuary in Leigh is believed to be calleed Phil, according to staff at the Half Crown pub, in Benfleet.

The man, who is believed to be local, was a regular at the boozer for five years, and news of his death has left staff shocked.

David Kimber, one of the bar staff at the pub, said: “He was a regular for so long and he felt like part of the furniture here.

“He will be dearly missed and he was loved by all of the staff and customers here. He was a typical bloke who loved the football and loved his animals.

“He was a regular right up until a couple of months ago, when his dog died. We were so shocked when we heard the news.