Internet users pay respects from all over world

Tributes were paid from all over the world on social-networking sites and condolence pages to the family.

A Facebook group entitled “R.I.P Clair, Richard, Aaron, Ben Smith From Pudsey in Leeds, West Yorkshire” was created in memory of the family, attracting messages from the public who wished to pay their respects.

The group’s author said on the site: “The Smith family were such loving people they will be sadly missed xxx”.

Rosie Nowosielski said on the site: “It is very sad that Ben and Aaron were only so young. We will look back at the funny times and forget the sad times.”

Elsewhere scores of tributes appeared on the Twitter website, with scores of people expressing their shock and leaving messages of condolence.

One Twitter user, John Lancaster, an up-and-coming racing driver from Leeds, tweeted: “Really sad to hear about the family in Pudsey who have passed... I really hope it isn’t murder. I’m from Pudsey it’s a great little town”.

A page was also created in their memory on the Gone Too Soon website, a site which allows the public to pay tribute to people who have died.

A simple message on the website read: “Please light a candle for this family and their loved ones as police continue to investigate what happened to them.

“A truly sad event for all involved.”

A message from Elaine Lydon said: “So sad for the family and to the children involved.

“God bless to their family and family. xx”

Schoolfriends of Ben, nine, who attended Greenfield Primary in Pudsey, were left devastated.

One boy, aged eight, said: “Ben was my friend, I played basketball with him, he was good at sports. The school made an announcement about what has happened that Ben Smith had died.

“Most people in the school were sad, Matthew and Ryan are his best friends and they were crying their eyes out.”

The boy’s mother, Helene Briggs, added: “It’s terrible. When we saw it in the news we never thought it would be someone from his school.”