Father pays tribute to son found in Haywards Heath pub
A father has paid tribute to his son whose body was found in a derelict pub in Haywards Heath.
Mark Langridge’s body was found on February 15 when police were called to The Mayflower Pub in America Lane following reports that a man had been found in the premises.
Stephen Langridge, of Deanland Road in Balcombe, spoke to the Middy about his son Mark, 36.
Mr Langridge said: “He had his own struggles in life. He had drug problems and I have been caring for him and supporting him for the past 14 years to overcome it.”
Mark lived in Balcombe with his father, in what he described as a loving and supportive home.
Mr Langridge said that Mark was looking for help for his heroin addiction and had previously been to Clouds House in Wiltshire and more recently Kenwood House in Maidstone, which he left in November last year.
“When he came out he was fit and healthy and he returned to the family home in Balcombe,” Mr Langridge said.
“Rehab was just fantastic for him. He worked really hard when he was in there.”
He added that after coming out of rehab Mark was a lot more artistic, making sculptures out of breeze blocks, making jewellery, painting and doodling.
“He would always be doodling.
“You leave a piece of paper in front of him and he would doodle away,” said Mr Langridge.
He added: “He failed himself but I also believe that he was failed by the system.
“He was from a loving family home but the drugs had a hold of him.”
Mr Langridge described Mark as a loving, kind and considerate man who was a people person and loved animals and would be sorely missed.
Mark enjoyed helping his father with forestry work, tending to Mr Langridge’s two-and-a-half acres of land.
The father said that he had seen his son on the Thursday when he had taken him to an alcohol assessment and had planned to pick him up on the Friday after he had visited another agency.
Mark’s body was found by a representative of the company which is planning to re-develop the pub.
A post-mortem examination took place on Tuesday, February 19.
A police spokesperson said: “His death is being treated as unexplained but not suspicious, and the Coroner’s Officer is continuing enquiries.
“The post-mortem did not establish a cause of death. Toxicology tests will now take place, the results from which are expected in two weeks.”
The funeral is to take place in Balcombe Church on March 7 at 11am.
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Tuesday 21 May 2013
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