Below is the official Press release by Hertfordshire Police

 

September 2, 2004

FAMILY PAY TRIBUTE TO MUCH LOVED SON
By Corporate Communication Dept

NINETEEN-year-old Tim Burgess was tragically killed in a road traffic collision on the A121 in Waltham Cross on the night of Wednesday 25 August.

Tim was born Timothy Gould on
14 January 1985, but was raised from the age of three months by his mother Chris and stepfather, Terry Burgess. He thought of Terry as his father and the two were very close. He lived with his family in Enfield.

Tim went to school at
Bush Hill Park, then to Edmonton County School. He was a huge football fan, playing games with friends and for Carter Hatch Lane, as well as being a West Ham supporter. He was in the Boys Brigade for over 12 years and helped out behind the scenes at the Chicken Shed, a theatre company for able bodied and disabled performers, based in Southgate.

His family have paid the following tribute to their much loved son.

"Tim was part of a very supportive family. He was really close to us and to his sister Debbie and brother Terry Jnr.

"He was very popular. He loved music, especially dance and trance, and was always off to the pub with his mates. They were very close - if one of them didn't have any money, the others would treat him until payday.

"It seemed like his phone was ringing every five minutes and he was always talking to someone. He had a few girlfriends but still had deep feelings for his childhood sweetheart Gemma, who moved away to
Peterborough with her family a couple of years ago.

"He used to work really hard, doing two jobs for a few months this year. He'd head off to work with a removal company at 6 in the morning, then come home sometimes up to
9.30pm and go straight off to work in the box office at a nightclub up the road. There were days when we never saw him, but he never complained. He was saving up to come to Egypt with us next year for a family holiday and was just about to apply for his first passport.

"He used to love playing on the Play Station in his bedroom. He saved up and bought himself a huge bed which he used to lie on, listening to music. He often would spend hours playing football and racing car games with his brother Terry. He had pictures of Christina Aguilera all over the walls - we don't think it was because of her singing.

"He was a typical lad - very messy - we were always picking up after him. He dressed up when he went out and always looked smart, but his room mostly smelt of dirty socks. We decorated his bedroom a month ago and gave it a good tidy. He came home and went in there and within five minutes everything was a mess again.

"Tim was a great brother. He'd take Debbie and Terry Jnr out with him and he watched over them to make sure they were safe."

One of Tim's best friends, Andrew, said: "Tim was a great mate. He always had a cheeky smile on his face and nothing got him down. He was well loved by all his mates and we're all absolutely gutted that he's gone. He was just the best mate you could ask for. We'd go out and he'd sing all the way home. He just never got stressed by anything. We all miss him."

Tim's mother Chris said: "We'd like to thank everyone for their support. We didn't realise how many friends Tim had until they started turning up at the door. We've had strangers coming up and offering their sympathy and asking us in for a cup of tea. It's nice to know how many people's lives Tim touched during his short time here.

"We all love and miss you so very much Tim. We always will."