TRIBUTES have been paid to the French rugby-playing father of Billericay pop singer Alison Moyet.

Michel Moyet, who gave up a career with the Saracens rugby team to play for Basildon Rugby Club, has died aged 83 after a battle with leukaemia.

Mr Moyet, known to his friends and teammates as “Mitch”, died at home in High Road, Laindon, under the care of St Luke’s Hospice.

Daughter Alison, whose given name is Genevieve, paid moving tributes to her father on Twitter.

The singer, who cancelled European tour dates to be at her father’s side, wrote: “The longest year and the strongest man. Michel Moyet, au revoir, papa.”

Mr Moyet, originally from the Cognac region of France, followed wife-to-be Dorothy to England after meeting her in Paris, where she was an au pair.

Despite daughter Alison’s worldwide fame, Mr Moyet was equally proud of his other children, Cliff and Jeanne.

Ray Price, 66, was great friends with Mr Moyet for 46 years and convinced him to swap Saracens for Basildon.

Now living in Lincolnshire, he said: “He was a family man.

People would often ask him how Alison was, as she was so well known, but he would always say: ‘I have three children and they are all fine’.”

A spokesman for St Luke’s said: “Patient care is at heart of everything we do at St Luke’s and we consider it a privilege to be of service to families in our community whatever their circumstances may be. Our thoughts are with the all the Moyet family at this sad time’’.

The funeral of Mr Moyet, who died last month, was held at Bowers Gifford Crematorium.