Tributes have been paid to a British man killed when a firework exploded in front of him at a new year party in Thailand.
Gary McLaren, from Corby, Northamptonshire, died as he celebrated with his Thai fiancee and friends in the resort of Pattaya, in the east of the country.
Police and rescue workers who arrived at the scene found a crowd in front of a beer bar where Mr McLaren was on the ground with serious facial injuries, the Bangkok Post reported.
Medical teams were unable to save him, and police took away a large firework on the ground nearby as evidence.
Mr McLaren, reported by the BBC to be 50 and by the Bangkok Post as 51, worked for the International Road Racing Teams Association, according to his LinkedIn profile, and was a big motorcycle racing fan.
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Thai women devotees attend an icebreaking session ahead of their ordination to be novice monks at the Songdhammakalyani monastery, Nakhon Pathom province, Thailand. Officially, only men can become monks and novices in Thailand under a Buddhist order that, since 1928, has forbidden the ordination of women. A growing number of women defy generations of Thai Buddhist tradition by becoming ordained as novice monks at the unrecognised all-female monastery
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Thai women devotees practice during a first orientation to become Buddhist novice monks
Reuters
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Dhammananda Bhikkhuni, 74, abbess of the monastery, plays with her dog
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Thai women devotees have their hair cut during a mass female Buddhist novice monk ordination ceremony
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Novice monks walk in line to receive food offerings
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Novice monks walk in line during their ordination ceremony
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Thai women devotees
Reuters
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Saffron robes before before ordination ceremony
Reuters
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Boodsabann Chanthawong, 49, a businesswoman, works on her mobile phone as she rides on a train, weeks ahead of her ordination
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A painting of a female Buddhist monk
Reuters
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A devotee has her hair cut
Reuters
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Novice monks gather for a group photo
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Novice monks pray during a morning routine
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A Thai woman devotee who ended her novice monkhood has her head cleaned by Dhammananda Bhikkhuni
Reuters
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Thai women devotees carry their saffron robes
Reuters
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Female Buddha statues on display at the Songdhammakalyani monastery
Reuters
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Devotees in white robes pray
Reuters
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Devotees walk in line during their Buddhist novice monk ordination ceremony
Reuters
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Thai women return their saffron robes after ending their novice monkhood
Reuters
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Boodsabann Chanthawong works with her husband at her stall near her house, days after she ended her novice monkhood
Reuters
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Thai women devotees attend an icebreaking session ahead of their ordination to be novice monks at the Songdhammakalyani monastery, Nakhon Pathom province, Thailand. Officially, only men can become monks and novices in Thailand under a Buddhist order that, since 1928, has forbidden the ordination of women. A growing number of women defy generations of Thai Buddhist tradition by becoming ordained as novice monks at the unrecognised all-female monastery
Reuters
2/20
Thai women devotees practice during a first orientation to become Buddhist novice monks
Reuters
3/20
Dhammananda Bhikkhuni, 74, abbess of the monastery, plays with her dog
Reuters
4/20
Thai women devotees have their hair cut during a mass female Buddhist novice monk ordination ceremony
Reuters
5/20
Novice monks walk in line to receive food offerings
Reuters
6/20
Novice monks walk in line during their ordination ceremony
Reuters
7/20
Thai women devotees
Reuters
8/20
Saffron robes before before ordination ceremony
Reuters
9/20
Boodsabann Chanthawong, 49, a businesswoman, works on her mobile phone as she rides on a train, weeks ahead of her ordination
Reuters
10/20
A painting of a female Buddhist monk
Reuters
11/20
A devotee has her hair cut
Reuters
12/20
Novice monks gather for a group photo
Reuters
13/20
Novice monks pray during a morning routine
Reuters
14/20
A Thai woman devotee who ended her novice monkhood has her head cleaned by Dhammananda Bhikkhuni
Reuters
15/20
Thai women devotees carry their saffron robes
Reuters
16/20
Female Buddha statues on display at the Songdhammakalyani monastery
Reuters
17/20
Devotees in white robes pray
Reuters
18/20
Devotees walk in line during their Buddhist novice monk ordination ceremony
Reuters
19/20
Thai women return their saffron robes after ending their novice monkhood
Reuters
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Boodsabann Chanthawong works with her husband at her stall near her house, days after she ended her novice monkhood
Reuters
Motorsport commentator Suzi Perry tweeted: “Devastating news. Gary was absolutely lovely. Heartbroken for his fiancée, family, friends and our #motogp family. We’ve lost a gorgeous soul.”
Tim Walpole, a friend, tweeted: “One of the most popular members of the @MotoGP paddock died last night. Gary was a great guy & always fun to be around, as well as being a real professional in his time with @suzukimotogp.”
His fiancée, Jasmine, to whom he had become engaged in 2018, was among those in tears after the accident, and hugged his body.
“Around midnight, Mr McLaren attempted to light up a large firework but it failed to go off at first. After that, it suddenly exploded and killed him at the scene,” said Lt Col Somboon Ua-samanmaitree of the Thai Tourist Police.
An Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Thailand.”
