This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

The 22-year-old son of the UK’s intelligence chief has been killed in a car crash on a private Scottish estate.

Sam Younger, the child of Alex, the head of MI6, died after the crash on a private estate in Stirlingshire on Saturday, Police Scotland confirmed.

The politics student’s family described him as a “wonderful son” and asked for privacy.

His tutor Kieran Oberman, a senior politics lecturer at Edinburgh University, said Younger was a “lovely student, always warm and friendly. He seemed confident about the future.”

Police Scotland said Younger’s death was “being treated as unexplained, however there does not appear to be any suspicious circumstances”. A report was being compiled to be submitted to the procurator fiscal.

A spokesman would not confirm reports that a male friend of Younger was injured in the crash.

Younger was a former pupil of Dulwich College, one of the UK’s leading public schools. He was a member of its rugby team that won the schools cup in 2014.

In a reference to the school’s colours, its sports department tweeted that he was “black and blue until he died”.

Dulwichcollegesport (@dulwichsport) It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of Sam Younger (OA 2006 - 2015). “He was black and blue until he died - loved every brick of the place” pic.twitter.com/d8ifthEwWN

The Old Alleynians Association of the school’s former students announced his death with “deep sadness”.

“A selfless, big-hearted, fun-loving and committed Alleynian, and Old Alleynian, we offer heartfelt condolences to Sam’s family and friends,” it said in a statement.

Alex Younger has been chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) – a position known as “C” – since November 2014. The appointment followed a career of more than 20 years as an officer in the SIS, the official name for MI6.

Earlier this year, it was reported that the former army officer was expected to stay in the post beyond his November retirement date in the interests of post-Brexit stability. He has pledged to make the agency more diverse.