Tributes have been paid to a former Blackburn head boy who has tragically died aged 21.

Yusuf Mumtaz, who studied at Westholme School until 2021, left with outstanding A Level results, achieving A/A* across Mathematics, Computer Science and Economics.

He went on to be accepted onto the highly sought-after degree apprenticeship at Jaguar Land Rover in Warwick, where he worked as a data analyst.

His time at the car manufacturer was highly successful, achieving the Apprentice of the Year Award twice.

The technology fan was incredibly popular with his classmates at the private school, which said it was immensely proud of his achievements in the classroom and in his later career.

In a statement shared on social media, a Westholme School spokesperson said: “Bright, charismatic yet humble, Yusuf represented the best of Westholme.

“He treated his role as Head Boy with tremendous respect, and regularly returned to Westholme, inspiring current students with his passion, skills and commitment to everything that he did.

“We feel honoured to have been part of Yusuf’s journey, and he remains forever at the heart of Westholme.

“Our most sincere condolences to Yusuf’s family and friends who are devastated by his loss. His memory will always be a blessing.”

Yusuf also gained incredible GCSE results in 2019 achieving three grade 8s, one 7, three 6s and two 5s.

It was during his GCSE study that Yusuf was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, which affected his ability to write and saw him hospitalised during his exams.

On being accepted onto Jaguar Land Rover's apprenticeship scheme, he had said he was excited to climb the career ladder at the automotive manufacturer and had hoped to lead the firm's data analytics team.