A regional press farming editor has paid a moving tribute to his son after he was found dead in his room at Oxford University.

Toby Rundle, left, whose body was found by a fellow student last week, was the son of Chris Rundle, farming editor of the Western Daily Press, and his wife, Debbie, media and public relations officer for Taunton Deane Borough Council.

Toby had himself contributed articles to the WDP since the age of 15, covering issues from mountainboarding to film reviews and travel pieces from his gap year.

He was starting his final year at Oxford where he was reading classics and English at Lady Margaret Hall, and had been planning to work as a food writer after graduating.

Said Chris: “We have no idea why this has happened. I took him and all his stuff back to Oxford on Sunday and he was very positive.

“He was going to help organise a college ball next spring and was going to Scotland to organise catering for his friend’s 21st birthday.

“He was looking forward and I had an e-mail from him on Tuesday saying everything was ace. We had no inkling that he was unhappy.

“In the summer he had been working at the Royal Oak pub in Luxborough where he did all sorts of things, helping in the kitchen and behind the bar. I will always be grateful to the chef for taking him on.

“He was absolutely mad about food, and was a superb cook, and his plan after graduating was to go back to San Francisco and find a job as a food writer.

“He played rugby for his college last year, and he just worked and enjoyed life. I think we may never know exactly why this has happened.”

In 2007 Toby made national headlines when he sold a first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, sent to him by his mother to help him cope with his first term at boarding school, for £7,200 to help finance him through university.

Dr Frances Lannon, Principal of Lady Margaret Hall, said: “We were deeply saddened by the death of Toby Rundle, a third-year undergraduate at Lady Margaret Hall. Toby was a student of classics and English and was well liked by everyone in college.”

You can leave your tributes to Toby on his page at Lasting Tribute