THE sisters of an Aylesbury man who was found dead in Vale Park have paid tribute to their brother, and appealed for the public's help in piecing together the final moments of his life.
Father-of-three Paul Jennings, who was 38, was spotted by a park warden lying in the Bear Brook on Friday morning. Police cordoned off a large area of the park while divers retrieved his body and forensic work was carried out. They have confirmed that his death is not being treated as suspicious.
Mr Jennings had a distinctive tattoo of an eye on the back of his head. He had recently moved from Priory Crescent in Quarrendon to Rainborough Gardens in Elmhurst.
His two sisters, Michelle, 35, and Louise, 29, described him as a unique and eccentric man who loved his family. Michelle said: "He was eco-friendly, had his own beliefs and was not traditional in any way. He was really into dreams and he had lots of books on the meaning of them."
Mr Jennings was previously a pupil at Bearbrook and Quarrendon schools. He was a keen science-fiction fan and had collected the 2000AD comic books since his childhood and was also an avid reader of author Terry Pratchett's fantasy novels.
The grounds maintenance worker is the father of a teenage son and daughter and a younger boy, and although he was separated from them, they were still a big part of his life. "He was always there for his kids," said Michelle. "He doted on them and the children adored him."
She said she last saw her brother on the Sunday before his death when he came round to their father's house for a roast dinner.
His family is still trying to fathom out why Mr Jennings, who smoked a pipe rather than cigarettes, ended up in the stream. "At the moment the police say it was a tragic accident and we don't know any more than that," said Michelle.
"If anybody was with him on Thursday evening we would really like them to speak to us because we want to know where he was and if he was having an enjoyable night," she added.
She continued: "I don't know whether he was cutting through the park or not. I presume he was on his own so we might never find out exactly what happened to him, but it would be interesting to know what he had been up to."
A post-mortem is being carried out on Mr Jennings this week and his funeral at Amersham Crematorium will be held as soon as possible. In keeping with his environmental views, he will be cremated in an eco-friendly cardboard coffin.
Mr Jennings also leaves behind his father Vic, younger brother Karl, and grandfather Jack.
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