A former Norfolk couple who lost their child in the Connecticut school shootings said they would never regret their move to America.

Nicole and Ian Hockley lost their six-year-old son Dylan in Friday's massacre at Sandy Hook school.

In a statement released by local police, the couple, who both studied at the University of East Anglia, said their boy died 'wrapped in the arms' of his favourite teaching assistant.

They said there were 'no words' to express their loss and paid tribute to Dylan as a 'special gorgeous angel'.

The youngster was among 20 children and six adults killed in the shootings.

Nicole and Ian, both aged 42, met at the UEA and married in Norwich in 1993.

They then moved to Hampshire, before emigrating to Nicole's home country in January 2011 with Dylan and his older brother Jake.

They said: 'Everyone who met Dylan fell in love with him. His beaming smile would light up any room and his laugh was the sweetest music.

'He loved to cuddle, play tag every morning at the bus stop with our neighbors, bounce on the trampoline, play computer games, watch movies, the color purple, seeing the moon and eating his favorite foods, especially chocolate.

'He was learning to read and was so proud when he read us a new book every day. He adored his big brother Jake, his best friend and role model.

'There are no words that can express our feeling of loss. We will always be a family of four, as though Dylan is no longer physically with us, he is forever in our hearts and minds.'

Dylan's aunt Judith Hockley, from Peterborough, also paid tribute to her nephew.

'Whenever I saw him he was smiling,' she said. 'He was enjoying life in America and had made many new friends. He enjoyed going to school and had really settled in well.'

Her husband Kevin has flown to the US to comfort his brother Ian.

Dylan's grandparents have also flown out to America from Peterborough.