Family and friends of an Edinburgh teenager have paid tribute to a loving son and brother.
Jack Pollock, 14, died suddenly while on holiday with his mum and brother Jude on Thursday, September 29, and his dad Darryl has led tributes to an incredibly talented boxer, pupil and a loving family member.
The Royal High School pupil, from Clermiston, has also been remembered by his local boxing club in Granton, who said he was "full of ideas and mischief" as well as having a growing passion for sport and boxing in particular.
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A fundraiser has also been set up by a family friend to cover funeral costs and ensuring Jack's body is brought back safely from Portugal where he had been on holiday with his mum and his little brother.
Jack's dad spoke of the devastation of losing his son. He said: "He was really passionate about his boxing. Even on his days off he was out a run and always gave it 150%, there was no slacking from Jack. I'll say one thing about Jack and that is the fact he was a protector. All of his friends went to him if they had any trouble as he was their rock.
"If ever you needed anything, he would be the first to dash out of his house and help you out. He also loved his music but his passion was being out with his pals. He was at that teenager stage when they were going out all the time and being cheeky. Sometimes he was a pain in the backside to get home on time if you know what I mean."
David Barclay, one of the coaches at Granton Amateur Boxing Club, shared a tear-jerking tribute on Facebook, saying that Jack's tragic death has left a 'lump in his throat'.
It read: "On behalf of myself and everyone at the Granton amateur boxing club we would like to share our deepest condolences with Jack’s family with a tear to my eye and a lump in my throat.
"I can tell you that Jack’s Passing has devastated a full community. Just under a year ago you walked into my gym full of ideas and mischief a typical teenage boy who absolutely loved boxing as everyone who was involved with Jack would agree this kids had the heart of a lion in my personal opinion this kid would have went far in the boxing world.
"Jack: you were never a member, you were part of the little family. May God give you the best bed in heaven and everyone hold Jacks family in their thoughts and prayers. Rest easy wee champ."
Darryl added that Jack's friend Hamish and his girlfriend Poppy have been struggling with the sad news, and both meant a great deal to Jack personally. "He was always bubbly," he continued. "Ten minutes before the tragedy happened he was having a laugh and there's videos of him mucking around with his wee brother.
"The main thing about Jack is that to his little brother, he was the man. The closeness between him and his brother was second to none. He would let his brother batter him with a balloon while he danced around him. He loved going around with me and my close friend too. He mentioned a career in the Royal Marines, even from a young age he had his sights set on some sort of career in the armed forces.
"He was at the age where we were discussing his future as he was starting to find his feet in life. I was trying to keep him on the straight and narrow, looking towards buying a car and finding a job."
To make a donation to Jack's GoFundMe which has been set up to help his family with costs, you can do so here.
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