TRIBUTES have been paid to Colchester’s Nick Alexander, who was killed in the Paris attacks.

Nick, 36, was shot when the Bataclan music venue was stormed by terrorists in a gun and bomb rampage that killed 89 there and more than 130 across the city.

The merchandise manager was working for the American rock band Eagles of Death Metal, whowere playing at the venue on Friday night.

He was with his American friend Helen Wilson, who tried to save him as he lay dying after he was shot.

Nick’s parents Barry and Sheelagh, who live in Weeley, issued a statement on Saturday evening.

It said: “It is with huge sorrow that we can confirm our beloved Nick lost his life at the Bataclan last night.

“Nick died doing the job he loved and we take great comfort in knowing howmuch he was cherished by his friends around the world.

“Thank you for your thoughts and respect for our family at this difficult time. Peace and light.”

Yesterday they added: “Nick was not just our brother, son and uncle, he was everyone’s best friend – generous, funny and fiercely loyal.

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Nick grew up in Colchester and attended the town’s St James’s Primary School and Colchester Royal Grammar School.

He went on to study at university in Liverpool.

His family attended St Andrew’s Church, in Weeley, and rector David Newman said: “The Alexander family are a long-standing and well-respected family here.

“I have known Nick for over 20 years, he attended the church when he came to visit his parents.

“He was a good kindly person, I am sure that everybody who knew him will have been a better person for knowing him.

“Everybody is in shock and grief for the pointless loss of life.

“Our thoughts now are the best way in which we can support the family.’’ The church is inviting people to leave candles there in Nick’s memory.

Nick’s girlfriend, Polina Buckley broke down as she visited a makeshift vigil outside the French consulate in New York.

She is understood to have been dating Nick for three years and penned a tribute to her boyfriend on Facebook, writing: “Three years ago on this day I met you on the corner of East 15th and Irving Pl.

“I fell in love the moment I laid eyes on you.

“This was the most loving, passionate and eventful relationship I’ve ever experienced. You were my everything.

“My lover, my best friend, my soulmate.

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“I am completely crushed and heartbroken right now. I will miss you terribly.

“Sleep tight, my sweet prince. I will always love you.”

Concern for Nick’s welfare started on social media on Saturday when friends posted a series of frantic messages on Facebook.

He lived for good music and friendship

A CLOSE friend of Nick Alexander said he “lived for good music and friendship.”

Matt Walsh, who grew up in the Colchester area where he was a DJ, lived with Nick for a time in London.

He said: “I first met Nick 12 years ago in Time Records, Colchester.

“He was a man about town, recognisable from afar by his long hair, uniform black leather jacket, white T-shirt, sunglasses and cigarette.

“I was about to start my first club night in Colchester and needed a DJ partner.

“I knew he had impeccable taste as he idolised Brett Anderson, from Suede, as did I. I plucked up the courage to speak to him and we became friends instantly.

“From then on we spent hours together each week, swapping music and talking on the phone about what to play every Thursday at our night, Milkshake, at Route nightclub.

“Nick was a hit with the ladies and was idolised by every man in the room, including myself.

“Once he moved to west London a couple of years later, my girlfriend Leanne and I (now my wife), spent most weekends partying with Nick at club nights across London.

“Knowing how much we loved the capital and spending time with him, Nick asked us to move in and without even really thinking, we packed all that we had and joined him for the first two years of our new life in the city.

“Without Nick, we wouldn’t have made the move and live the lives we lead now.

“After reading his Facebook page, it is clear that he was loved dearly. He died doing what he loved the most, he lived for good music and friendship and we will remember him always.

“He would have loved to know he had been written about in Rolling Stone and mentioned by Damon Albarn. To top it off would be a card from Kylie, maybe somebody can make that happen…”

He lived for rock and roll

TRIBUTES to Nick who “lived for rock and roll” have flooded in from around the world and include singer Cat Stevens and Colchester-born Blur frontman Damon Albarn.

Damon tweeted: “Nick’s death is immensely sad.”

Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam) tweeted: “Just read Nick Alexander was killed in Paris.

“He was our tour merchandiser on last year’s tour. Sending love & condolences to his family.”

Drummer Patrick Carney from American rock band The Black Keys told Rolling Stone: “I spent a lot of time with Nick, but the thing about the touring merch job, it’s one of the more thankless jobs.

“You do it because you just want to travel and you’re interested in meeting new people and it’s really hard work. It’s not the job you take if you’re into partying.

“He was a really organised, super-hard worker, really funny. I remember him always very content with being on tour. It was what seems to make him the happiest.

“After shows, when everyone would go wild or whatever, he would also be really reserved. He was just a sweetheart, that guy.

“I remember he looked more like a rock star than anyone else on the tour, in the best possible sense.

“He never complained. He was more interested in touring than anybody else that was on tour at any given point.”

Carney’s Black Keys bandmate Dan Auerbach told Rolling Stone Mr Alexander lived for rock and roll.

“He was always there, really nice guy, always with his mod haircut and his big smile. He was just a really nice guy. Always. Just loved rock and roll. He was just an absolute rock and roll guy. Lived for it,” he said.

Nick had been part of the Africa Express music project, founded by Blur’s Damon Albarn and writer and campaigner Ian Birrell, when it toured Britain in 2012.

He sold merchandise on the trip and was described by Mr Birrell as “a hero”.

“He loved music, lived with a smile on his face, died a hero,” he tweeted.

Fans of Eagles of Death Metal have launched a campaign to get them to number one. The band was scheduled to perform on Friday night at the Bataclan, when attackers wearing suicide belts took people hostage and fired shots before blowing themselves and others up as police stormed the building.

All members of the American band were confirmed to be safe.

Now a Facebook page called Eagles of Death Metal For No.1 has more than 4,000 supporters.

It is urging fans to download the band’s version of the Duran Duran song Save A Prayer – described as “the perfect tune for us all right now” – to show solidarity against terrorism and support for peace.