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Harry Potter star's brother and his friend revealed as 'rail-surfers' found dead on east London Overground train tracks

These are the first pictures of two friends found dead on railway tracks. It is thought they were killed while train-surfing.

The bodies of Benjamin Haddon-Cave, 27, and Patrick Bolster, 26, were discovered on the London Overground line between Hackney Wick and Stratford on March 21.

Music producer Mr Haddon-Cave, whose sister Jessie Cave played Lavender Brown in the Harry Potter films, was found by officers called to reports of a fire at about 1am.

A post-mortem examination established he died from electrocution and thermal trauma.

Mr Haddon-Cave’s sister Jessie, below, played Lavender Brown in Harry Potter
Mr Haddon-Cave’s sister Jessie, below, played Lavender Brown in Harry Potter

Mr Haddon-Cave’s family said in a statement: “He was our beloved son and brother and we are completely devastated. He was an incredibly kind and talented music producer, writer and actor.

"He was the middle son of five and we are all utterly heartbroken. His long-standing girlfriend is similarly bereft.”

The men were found on London Overground lines (file image) (Fiona Hanson/PA)
The men were found on London Overground lines (file image) (Fiona Hanson/PA)

Mr Haddon-Cave lived in Clerkenwell. His other sister, Bebe, starred as Wilhelmina Coke in ITV’s Victoria.

An inquest hearing at Poplar coroner’s court was told he was identified by sibling DNA analysis.

Jessie Cave pictured in 2016 (Dave Benett)
Jessie Cave pictured in 2016 (Dave Benett)

The body of his friend Mr Bolster was discovered on the tracks next to Stratford station, a mile away.

The final-year student in countryside management and conservation at Aberystwyth University was identified by British Transport Police officers from his passport. He died of a haemorrhage and trauma, according to a post-mortem examination.

He grew up in Glengarriff, County Cork, Ireland, where his family said he was “loved by everyone he met”.

Ruairidh MacKay, 21, a friend, told the Standard: “Paddy was a great laugh and there was never a boring moment in his presence.

“Despite his short life, he lived it to the absolute max and travelled the world extensively. He probably had more stories under his belt than some do in their seventies.

“I had the honour to travel with him through Morocco and realised that he was able to make a laugh out of everything, even when it went all wrong. I have never before met a guy like him. With his countless sayings, he has left memories which we can all still laugh about.”

Aberystwyth University said in a statement that Mr Bolster had been a “thoughtful, engaging student”, adding: “He made many valuable contributions to his course. With his good sense of humour and positive outlook on life, Paddy was always happy to help and support others. He is sorely missed on campus.”

At the time of their deaths, Detective Sergeant David Taylor from BTP said: “Initial evidence suggests both men were on top of a moving freight train wagon when they came into contact with the overhead power lines.” Full inquests will be held in due course.