TRIBUTES have been paid to a “perfect gentleman” who became the eighth man in 12 months to die on the streets of Southend.

Although not a rough sleeper, Trevor Cliff, who was believed to be in his early fifties, spent time with the town’s homeless and was a well-known character in the community.

Jo Bates, of Homeless Street Hub, which Mr Cliff visited as a service user, said: “It’s very sad. He was a larger than life character.

“He wasn’t homeless but he looked after the homeless as if he was one of them.

“He was the streets of Southend.”

Mrs Bates said the former boxer was found dead near public toilets in Tylers Avenue in the early hours of Sunday morning.

She said Mr Cliff, also known as Trevor Roache, was renowned for watching over the homeless.

He would also wait with volunteers offering food and drink at the car park in Clarence Road while they packed up to make sure they were safe.

She said: “Everyone knew Trev. He was one of the biggest and largest characters in Southend you could meet.

“He’s the person that if anyone was picking on a woman he would step in.

“I know he lost his daughter at quite a young age and that affected him quite a lot.

“He was a service user. He had his demons. He wasn’t a rough sleeper but chose to be on the streets.

“He was the perfect person, a lovely gentleman.”

Sarah Yapp, of Southend Street Spirit, which provides hot food to homeless people, said: “He was a really wonderful man.

“He was just an amazing man, a lovely person. He was totally misunderstood.

“He had some really great ethics and was just a kind person- he would protect anyone.”

Mr Cliff’s death follows that of rough sleeper Brian Wiels in February, as a result of longstanding problems with alcohol and drug addiction.

In January, Thomas Barton, 37, died at Southend Hospital after suffering cardiac arrest in the Sainsbury’s car park in London Road.

An inquest last week found he had died as a result of alcohol problems.

Last year, five members of Southend’s homeless community died, including Stephen Hartington, 35, and Gary Dunn, 53, who both collapsed.

Mrs Yapp said: “Who knows where it’s stemming from? There needs to be more done to help the homeless and people with long-term mental illness.”