THE family of a teenager who was killed in a road accident on Sunday have paid an emotional tribute to him.

Peter Allsop, 17, died when his car left a country road and hit a tree near Pickering, North Yorkshire, at about 3pm.

Firefighters used cutting equipment to free him from the wreckage of his Rover 416 saloon, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

In a statement released through police last night, Mr Allsop's family said they were proud of his academic achievements and his work forging a career as a trainee chef.

They said: "Peter was a friendly, kindly and helpful person, always with a smile on his face and not a bad word to say about anyone. He was always willing to stop and chat to anybody.