THE family of a "loving and passionate" 20-year-old cyclist who was killed by a careless driver have revealed their heartache at his death.

William Houghton was biking on the A32 at Wickham on January 23 when he was hit by a white Citroen C3 driven by Jeanette Smith, 69.

He was rushed to hospital shortly after the crash, which happened at about 11.15am, but died the next day from his injuries.

His parents Liz and Richard say they will never know if William would have fulfilled his ambition to become a professional cyclist.

Smith, of Little Corner, Denmead, appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court and pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving and was banned from the roads for a year.

As well as the driving disqualification she was ordered to carry out 60 hours unpaid work and to pay a total of £165 in costs and fines.

Paying tribute to their son after the sentencing, Will’s parents Liz and Richard Houghton said: “Our grief for our loving, passionate, driven and wonderful son Will is deep.

“He was a handsome, motivated and fun 20-year-old and is missed dearly by his family and friends.

“His new racing bike, delivered two weeks after he was killed, will never be ridden and we will never know if he would have achieved his driving ambition to be a professional cyclist.

“While the 20 years he spent with us were far too short, we are grateful that he lived them to the full and left us all with happy memories and a belief that we should all strive to be the very best version of ourselves we can be.

“We welcome Mrs Smith’s decision to plead guilty to death by careless driving and hope that Will’s tragic death will act as a reminder to all drivers that they must be alert to cyclists at all times.”

Speaking after the sentencing PC Lucy Hawkins, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, added: “This was a tragic incident which has had a devastating impact on William’s family.

“I would just like to take this opportunity to remind motorists that they must give the road their complete attention 100 per cent of the time because any lapse in concentration could have fatal consequences.

“Drivers need to be alert at all times so that they are aware of their surroundings.”