Crushed teacher 'always fun and laughing'

Scott Williams had been drinking with friends when he fell asleep in a skip. Photo / Supplied

A teacher crushed to death in a rubbish truck in England will be remembered as an outgoing man who ate his baked beans cold out of the tin between classes and rugby practice.

That's just one of the stories about New Zealander Scott Williams, 35, who had been drinking with friends in Brighton when he fell asleep in a large rubbish skip.

The 1.5m-deep bin was picked up by a rubbish truck and his crushed body was discovered after the truck had emptied its load at the depot.

British police said they were investigating Mr Williams' death but were not treating it as suspicious. An autopsy showed he had been crushed.

Last night, colleagues gathered at a pub in Auckland to remember Mr Williams and share their stories.

Colleen Hayter taught physical education with him in 1999 and 2000. She said she remembers him eating his baked beans straight from the tin in the staff room of Pakuranga College in Manukau City.

"He was just a great PE teacher. I taught PE with him and he was a really good colleague," Mrs Hayter said.

She said everyone in the department enjoyed their time teaching with Mr Williams, who would be remembered as an outgoing, young and vibrant teacher who was full of life.

She described his death as a tragedy that was easily preventable.

Pakuranga College principal Mike Williams has been in the job only weeks but said staff members remembered Mr Williams as having a "wicked sense of humour".

"He was an engaging character with a wide smile. Students related well to him and he was a great role model, demonstrating qualities of caring and being considerate.

"He supported others and put hours into developing units of work for the PE department when a new curriculum was introduced.

"He coached the 1st XV [and] was a wonderful team person," Mike Williams said.

A former student of Scott Williams at Pakuranga College said she remembered him as one of those "special teachers".

Monica Nana said she recalled being on an outdoor education camp with Mr Williams and said he "always made sure everyone was okay".

"Basically he was just one of those kinds of teachers, everyone has a special teacher, and he was one who made a difference in someone's life," Ms Nana said.

She said Mr Williams was an "open and honest" man.

A friend of Mr Williams in Britain said he was "always fun and laughing".

Donna Kearvell travelled around Europe with him in a van with four other people after he shifted from New Zealand in 2000.

She described him as "athletic, always fun and laughing".

"He was a lovely guy, friendly and outgoing."

Ms Kearvell said she learned of the tragedy from a journalist and it was not until she looked at her Facebook page and saw messages about the tragedy from friends that it began to sink in.

"It's terrible, a very weird accident," Ms Kearvell said.

Mr Williams is also remembered as a champion swimmer who represented the Waikato in his teenage years.

Waikato swimming secretary Kate Thorn said he had been a successful swimmer and represented the region at the national swimming championships.

An old schoolmate, Dwayne Coker, also paid tribute to Mr Williams. Writing to the New Zealand Herald, he said he recalled their time at school in Hamilton.

"He was a really good guy, he liked everyone and had fun with all," Mr Coker said.

A Sussex police spokesman told the Times newspaper in London that officers were treating the case as unexplained rather than suspicious.

"It is assumed that Scott - who had been out with a friend and was seen in public houses in the city until 1am on Sunday - had been in one of the wheelie bins."