A 17-year-old boy from Ipswich whose body was found in the River Orwell has been described as "kind, loving and full of life" by his father following his tragic death.

Aayush Desai, a student at Colchester Royal Grammar School, sadly died in the early hours of Tuesday, May 18.

His family has launched an appeal in his memory to raise funds for Suffolk Mind, to help prevent further tragedies.

Aayush's body was found by multi-agency search teams after police received reports concerning the safety of a person seen on the Orwell Bridge.

A spokesman for Suffolk police said the boy's death is not being treated as suspicious and an inquest will be held into the circumstances surrounding his death.

Dr Pravin Desai, a paediatric cardiologist at Ipswich Hospital, said Aayush, his eldest child, was "a very loving boy".

He said: "Aayush was a quiet boy, he had a few friends.

"He was so kind and he was very focussed on helping the planet.

"He wanted the world to be a better place, and didn't want any domination by Google type of companies.

"He was very minimalistic and didn't want anything flashy in life — no big cars or clothes as they weren't good for the environment. That was the type of thinking he had."

Aayush was studying four AS Levels — maths, advanced maths, computer science and physics.

His father said Aayush had hoped to pursue a career in computer science, as he was very skilled at computer programming.

The teenager also enjoyed swimming and cycling when he wasn't studying.

"He was very intelligent and completed nine GCSEs," added Dr Desai, who has worked at Ipswich Hospital for 14 years.

He said his son's death has come as a huge shock to the family.

They have decided to raise money for Suffolk Mind in Aayush's memory, to help more young people in the community who are struggling.

Dr Desai said: "My wife Shilpa was a trained homeopathic doctor back home (in Goa) and has retrained in the UK in cognitive behaviour therapy.

"Before she stopped working due to family commitments, she had worked alongside Suffolk Mind and did some of their courses, so we have decided to raise money in Aayush's memory to help other people who are struggling and their families.

"The help and support from our community has been overwhelming."

Aayush also leaves behind his younger sister, aged 11.

Aayush's family would welcome any donations in his memory to Suffolk Mind.

If you need help and support, call Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust’s First Response helpline 0808 196 3494 or the Samaritans on 116 123. Both services are available 24 hours 7 days a week. You can also download the Stay Alive app on Apple & Android.