Lee Ridgway's family and friends have paid tribute to the caring and popular teenager

A teenager who died after he was hit by a train appears to have posted a final Facebook message just three hours earlier saying 'life's cruel'.

Lee Ridgway, 16, was found dead on the tracks near Bramhall railway station in Stockport at 1am on Monday.

The tragedy happened three days after Lee discovered his GCSE results and three hours after the former Cheadle Hulme High School pupil, from Bramhall, appears to have posted a final message on Facebook.

At 9.55pm on Sunday, a note was left on his profile: 'Life's cruel. Life's just a game. I lost.'

British Transport Police is investigating Lee's death and a file is being prepared for the coroner.

His family released a statement saying: 'Lee was a brilliant, kind, clever and popular person to all who knew him and will be greatly missed.'

The teenager's friends have laid flowers for him near Bramhall railway station, paid tribute on social media and also held a vigil in his name when lanterns were lit and sent into the air.

The final post on Lee's Facebook page, left three hours before he was found dead on the tracks near Bramhall railway station in Stockport, Greater Manchester

Annabelle Hilton was one of a number of friends who posted on Facebook.

She wrote: 'RIP Lee Ridgway, one of the nicest, caring, popular and most genuine lads I knew.

'No matter how much I acted like you annoyed me when you nicked all my stuff in maths you were the reason I looked forward to it because you made me laugh so much.

'Deffo owe you a fiver too, there was no chance I was gonna get higher in my maths GCSE than you, considering you had to help me on every question.

'Such a massive loss. RIP Lee, you will be missed by so many.'

Tim Pygott wrote: 'RIP Lee. I met you on holiday and we had some mad times. It was only Friday we were planning to back and have round 2 and you were game for that.

'My thoughts are going to your family. I will miss you lots my bro, fly high up there.'

Andrew Webb, corporate director for people at Stockport council, said: 'We are aware of this tragic incident involving one of our former pupils. Our thoughts are with Lee's family and friends at this time.'