FAMILY and friends of a cinema worker have been left devastated after he died suddenly from a suspected blood clot.Christine Worne paid tribute to her "brilliant" son, Richard, who worked at the Odeon cinema in Ipswich and hoped to start a teacher-training course.

FAMILY and friends of a cinema worker have been left devastated after he died suddenly from a suspected blood clot.

Christine Worne paid tribute to her "brilliant" son, Richard, who worked at the Odeon cinema in Ipswich and hoped to start a teacher-training course.

"He was just a brilliant son and a brilliant brother to his sister Kirsty. He had his whole life mapped out ahead of him," she said.

Mrs Worne said her son, who had suffered with asthma for 10 years, had felt unwell over the weekend and had gone to hospital for tests, which had proved inconclusive.

But on Tuesday night he became ill and an ambulance was called, but the 23-year-old from Ipswich later died.

Her husband, Michael, said an inquest, which opened yesterday, had determined their son had died from a pulmonary embolism – a sudden blocking of the lung arteries, usually by a blood clot.

Mrs Worne said her son had been looking forward to a future in film and had enjoyed working for the Odeon cinema in Ipswich.

She added the former Westbourne High School student had graduated from Suffolk College with a 2:1 degree in media and film studies and had been hoping to start a teacher-training course next September.

"After studying for his A-levels, he decided that film was what he really wanted to work in," said Mrs Worne.

"He loved his job at the Odeon and was fanatical about film, as the adverts say, and he was hoping to teach media at A-level.

"He had a brilliant sense of humour and was a great friend with lots of friends. He enjoyed most of the things people of his age enjoy, like socialising, sport and travelling."

Mrs Worne said her son's "huge array of friends" had been calling all the time and offering their support.

"People have carried on sending messages even after they have been given the news and I have saved them on his phone as they are for him," she added.

Mrs Worne said Richard's 19-year-old sister, Kirsty, was very close to him and was now staying with the family.

She added: "We would all like to say thank you for all the support our friends and Richard's friends have given us. It has really helped, it is wonderful to know he was so well thought of."

Debbie Horlock, duty manager at the Odeon cinema in Ipswich, said: "We are all absolutely devastated here."