Friends and neighbours have paid tribute to a man whose body was found in a water-filled pit.

The body of Phillip Haines, 53, of Beech Avenue, Braintree, was spotted by a man walking his dog at Waterfield Pit, off the town's Convent Lane. He was formally identified on Monday.

An Essex Police diving unit recovered the body on Friday. Post mortem examinations by a Home Office pathologist revealed the man had drowned. Police are not treating the death as suspicious.

His family were informed on Monday.

Police circulated a flyer containing a description of Mr Haines and a picture of his tobacco tin to identify him.

Neighbour Peter Dawson said he was still coming to terms with the news.

He added: "Phil was a real country man who'd do anything for anyone. We had similar things in common, like gardening, and he would often pop round with fruit and vegetables for us.

"I know he was familiar with the quarry. He would go there to pick mushrooms and blackberries."

Sylvia White, who lived above Mr Haines, said: "He loved his animals and had a dog and a cat. He also bred ferrets and I think he kept birds and snakes at one point.

"He once told me he preferred animals to people because they could be trusted. Phil also earned a very good reputation as a gardener and sometimes he did jobs as far away as Sudbury."

Jim Fox, who lived opposite Mr Haines, described him as a friendly man who would never burden others with his problems.

"He was well-known in the town, a real character who you could always have a laugh and joke with," he added.

And Emily Berry, 82, said: "He was the sort of person who would do anything for anyone. I liked him very much. He was a nice chap who thought the world of his dog."

Mr Haines, who lived alone, worked on a part-time basis as a groundsman at Braintree College.

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