A family have paid a heartfelt tribute to a south Essex man who died following an alleged “serious assault.”

Essex Police launched a murder investigation following reports of a serious assault on Ingrave Road in Brentwood, shortly after 3:30pm on Thursday.

Francis Reilly, 63, from Brentwood, was pronounced dead at the scene following the incident.

His family have now paid tribute to the “greatly loved” father, brother, grandfather and uncle who will be “sadly missed.”

The family of a loved father, brother, grandfather and uncle who died following an incident in Brentwood have paid tribute to him.

They said: “Frankie was a loving father, brother, grandfather and uncle.

“He was greatly loved by his whole family and will be sadly missed.

“We would ask for privacy at this time so we can continue to grieve as a family.

The incident saw emergency services including the air ambulance attend, while a cordon was also put in place at the scene.

John Moore, 38, of Ingrave Road, Brentwood is charged with Mr Reilly’s murder.

He appeared at Basildon Crown Court for a preliminary hearing this morning.

Moore was remanded in custody until a plea and trial preparation hearing at the same court on Tuesday, November 26.

Speaking at the time of the incident, Detective Inspector Lisa Hurrell said a murder investigation has been launched.

She said: “This incident took place on a busy residential street and I appreciate how concerning this must be for residents of Brentwood”

“Our officers arrived at the scene within two minutes and an arrest was made just over an hour after the report came into police.”