Sophie Dunne
Paul Hardcastle Jr was a saxophonist who worked as a DJ and ran a live events company
A motorcyclist who died in a crash following a police pursuit is the son of musician and producer Paul Hardcastle, the BBC understands.
Essex Police said officers followed a motorbike on Monday after it failed to stop for them in Ongar High Street.
Shortly afterwards, at 18:40 GMT, it was involved in a crash with a van on the A414 near Bobbingworth, in the Epping Forest area, where the rider died at the scene.
Hardcastle wrote on Facebook on Monday night, saying that his “super talented son” Paul Hardcastle Jr had been involved in a “fatal motorcycle accident earlier”.
Hardcastle Jr, 35, was a professional saxophone player who also ran a live entertainment company and worked as a DJ and producer.
Sophie Dunne, a photographer and studio owner who worked alongside Hardcastle Jr at many events, said she was “trying to process the utterly heartbreaking news of the loss of one of the most talented, kind, and energetic people I’ve ever had the privilege of working alongside”.
“Every event we shared was electric — never a person on a seat, just joy, energy, and smiling faces in every moment I captured,” she said.
Getty Images
Paul Hardcastle, pictured in 2009, paid tribute to his son on social media
His father rose to fame in the 1980s when his breakthrough hit, 19, went to number one in 13 countries.
The multi-instrumentalist also wrote the Top Of The Pops theme, The Wizard, in 1986, before switching to production.
On his Facebook post, hundreds of fans posted messages of condolence.
The matter has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct for investigation, which police said was “a mandatory step in circumstances such as this”.