TRIBUTES have been paid to a man who died after he was hit by a train.

Simon Pues, aged 48, of Tavistock Road, Bolton, died on Tuesday, February 4, close to Moor Lane tunnel, on the tracks opposite Randolph Street, just a few hundred yards from his home.

He was hit by a train shortly before 7am and died at the scene.

Greater Manchester Police and the North West Ambulance Service attended.

His neighbour, Anthony Peters, aged 50, said: “I used to talk to Simon all the time, but I hadn’t seen him for ages. I’m absolutely shocked.

“Sometimes he was a very talkative person and he could get on with anybody, but he didn’t socialise much with people in the street — he was a bit of a loner. He could get depressed easily and he used to come round to my house when he was feeling down.

“We’re a very close-knit community here, everybody knows everybody, so for something like this to happen is devastating.”

An inquest into Mr Pues’ death was opened and adjourned at Bolton Coroner’s Court, on Tuesday.

Railway lines between Bolton and Preston were blocked while emergency services dealt with the incident.

The train involved was the 6.36am Manchester Airport to Barrow-in-Furness service.