A loving father-of-three died of a heart attack after apparently falling down a lift shaft he had just finished building at Croydon College.

Matthew Quigley, from New Addington, suffered five heart attacks after he was found at the bottom of the lift shaft in the £12m extension he was helping to construct at the college on Friday.

The 33-year-old, who worked for Elite Elevators, had just completed installing the lift he had been working on for three months when he died.

Chelsea fan Mr Quigley, a former John Fisher School pupil, is survived by his wife Davina and three children aged nine, five and two.

It is not clear whether he fell down the lift shaft or suffered a heart attack at the bottom.

A Croydon police spokeswoman said the force was treating the death as unexplained, and a joint investigation with the Health and Safety Executive is under way.

The lift engineer’s mum Anne, 63, from Coulsdon said her son had died doing the job he loved.

She said: “He thoroughly enjoyed what he did, he had been working with that company for six years.

“He’d been married to Davina for about four years and he thought the world of his family – his life was complete.

“He was very happy, accepted people for what they were and would do anything for anyone.

“It looks like he must have had a fall of some sort, but he was very good at his job and he was very careful.

“He was healthy and it’s an active job, so we just don’t know what happened.”

Mr Quigley suffered two heart attacks as paramedics treated him for head injuries at the scene, and was taken to St George’s Hospital in Tooting just before noon.

Mr Quigley had three more heart attacks and was pronounced dead at about 6pm.

A spokesman for ISG, which is in charge of constructing the college extension, said: “It is with deep regret that we have learned of the tragic death of the construction worker injured in the incident at our Croydon College site.

“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the bereaved, to whom we offer our sincere condolences at this time.

“We are co-operating fully with the appropriate authorities, and until the full circumstances of the incident following the investigation are known, we are unable to make a further public comment.”

The multi-million pound scheme includes a new six-storey rotunda housing drama studios and music practice rooms, while part of the existing building is being stripped out and refurbished.

A college spokesman said: “The college deeply regrets to hear of the incident and wishes to express its sincere sympathy to the family and friends.

“ISG is undertaking work to refurbish and extend the college as part of a major capital investment project.

“The site has now been closed by ISG and relevant authorities informed.”