THE family of a One Direction roadie who died while working on the band’s set in Liverpool today paid tribute to him.
Kevin Benson, 57, was taken ill as he loaded the group’s stage production into the city’s ECHO arena at the weekend.
Today his younger brother Tony Benson said his loved ones took comfort after the former X Factor stars offered their condolences through the ECHO.
He said: “It was a comfort to see something like that in the paper, especially from such big celebrities.
“I would like to thank them on behalf of our family. I don’t suppose they had to do it, but they came forward and did a little tribute, which was really nice.”
Mr Benson was working as a member of a local crew assisting One Direction’s team in Liverpool on Sunday morning.
The dad-of-three, who was born in the city centre and lived in Bootle, was taken to the Royal Liverpool Hospital where he died.
An ambulance service spokesman said he had collapsed and suffered a head injury and then went into cardiac arrest.
Tony, 55, from Crosby, said: “We were all very close growing up and he visited my sisters quite a lot.
“He set off around the world when he was 16 or 17 and went off travelling. He went away for about 18 months and then came home.
“He worked in numerous places in the city as a labourer before he became a crew member. He was one of those fellows who if he saw a door he would fly through it.”
A spokesman for One Direction said Mr Benson was taken seriously ill during the loading in of the stage production at the ECHO arena for Sunday’s show.
He said: “The band, who were at their hotel in Manchester at the time, offer their sincere condolences.
“Their thoughts and prayers are with Kevin’s family at this difficult time.”
Mr Benson had two brothers Chris, 59, and Tony, 55, and two sisters Frances, 63 and Helen, 58.
He leaves behind a son Kevin, 16, two step children Rachel and Carl, and his partner Julie.
A spokesman for the ECHO arena also offered his condolences.
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