“HE WAS the kindest, funniest, generous, most happy-go-lucky person I think I know.”

This is how a colleague of air conditioning electrician Ben Mahoney described the man who was murdered in a Dartford takeaway late on Friday night.

Mr Mahoney, of St Martin's Road, Dartford, had spent the evening drinking in The Woodman pub, in East Street, before he walked the short distance to the House on the Hill takeaway soon after 11pm.

Police were called to the pizza and kebab shop at around 11.30pm to reports of a man unconscious and despite the best efforts of paramedics the 30-year-old was pronounced dead an hour later.

Cafer Zorlu, owner of the House on the Hill, first met Mr Mahoney when he opened the takeaway in 2005 and described him as “a calm and warm guy.”

Speaking to News Shopper, Mr Zorlu, 25, said: “It was just a normal night - he came from the pub with his friends to our place like he always would on a Friday or Saturday night to pick up his food.

“He would hang around until we close and have a chat and a laugh.

“Every time he used to come in we would make him a cup of tea. He used to hang around at the back of the shop waiting for the food.

“On this occasion the guy didn’t give him the chance to do that. It’s tragic.”

Mr Mahoney’s family today paid tribute to the 30-year-old West Ham fan who loved going to the gym and fishing.

“Ben was always smiling and laughing, and that’s how we will remember him. He was a fun-loving joker who never took himself too seriously.

“He was the life and soul of every party, and he will be sadly missed as a son, brother, uncle, nephew and cousin, as well as the friend he was to so many people.

“As a family, we have been overwhelmed by the love and support we have received from those who knew Ben. “

A post mortem examination showed Mr Mahoney died from head injuries.

Floral tributes have been left outside The Woodman pub, where he was a regular.

Landlord Wayne Martin, who had known Mr Mahoney for four years, told News Shopper: “He was a brilliant, fun-loving bloke.

“I last saw him on Friday night. He left here at about 11.10pm and went down to the kebab shop.”

Mr Martin added: “We all went down to the florist in St Albans Street on Saturday.

“There were about 20 or 30 of us in here at 9am because we hadn’t slept all night.

“We were going to leave the flowers outside the kebab shop but then thought why leave them there when he will want to be here?”

Mr Mahoney worked for service maintenance company GCSI Limited - who are based on the Victoria Industrial Park in Dartford – for the past two years.

His colleague Luke Dawson said: “He was the kindest, funniest, generous, most happy go lucky person I think I know.

“It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

“No one could have a bad thing to say about him.

“He is going be missed so much. There will be no one to make us laugh at work now.”

Last week, Mr Mahoney was part of a team working at London Zoo, where he had been contracted to work on the refurbishment of a restaurant.

Project manager Alex Bolton had worked with Mr Mahoney on this project for the past three months and spoke with him on Friday, just hours before he died.

He said: “He was very courteous and quietly spoken, a fun-loving 30-year-old.

“He was just a really nice fellow who never caused us any problems, a real credit to himself.

“He got on with his work and was very good at his job.

“He decided to solve problems rather than cause them and was a very well-liked and popular man on the team.”

'The only time we've had a fight or argument in the shop'

Cafer Zorlu re-assured customers the takeaway was safe.

He said: “Something like this has never happened before and we’ve got various security measures in place here. It was nothing to do with the staff.

“This is the only time we’ve had a fight or argument in the shop and the only time it was tragic.”

Gravesend man arrested

Two men were arrested on suspicion of murder at the scene on Friday night and on Sunday, police charged a 29-year-old man from Gravesend.

Eddie Ives, of St Gregory’s Crescent, was charged with murder and is due to appear at Maidstone Crown Court tomorrow (APR 17).

It is believed Ives was known to Mr Mahoney, although they were not close friends.

A second 36-year-old man from Dartford who was also arrested was released without charge.