Efforts continue to establish cause of Gately's death

Boyzone star Stephen Gately’s death was shrouded in mystery today amid claims he died after a marathon drinking session.

But the family of the 33-year-old pop singer and actor insisted it was a “tragic accident” and that no foul play was involved.

Police said there were “no signs of suspicious circumstances” after Gately was found dead at his home in the resort of Port Andratx, Majorca, on Saturday afternoon.

Reports today claimed he spent up to eight hours drinking on Friday night and choked to death on his vomit while asleep after a night’s clubbing.

Last night fellow band members – Keating, Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch – arrived in Majorca and spent an hour at Gately’s home in Port Andratx.

They were hoping for answers over the tragic death of their “friend and brother”.

Gerald Kean, who was asked by Gately’s family to speak on their behalf, said yesterday: “There’s no foul play involved and it’s not suicide. It’s just a tragic accident is what we’ve been told and we’re happy that that is correct information.

“There is nothing untoward, it’s not drugs, we don’t believe, it’s not suicide, it’s not murder, it’s not a fight. That’s what we’ve been told.”

As tributes poured in from the music world, a spokesman for police in Port Andratx added: “At the moment it is not known how he died. There are no signs of suspicious circumstances.”

A post mortem is expected to take place in Spain this week, possibly as early as tomorrow.

It was reported that police want to speak to a 25-year-old Bulgarian man who was said to have met Gately and his partner Andrew Cowles at a bar and returned with them to their Port Andratx home before the singer’s death.

Boyzone said they were left “completely devastated by the loss of our friend and brother, Stephen.

“We have shared such wonderful times together over the years and were all looking forward to sharing many more,” they said.

“Stephen was a beautiful person in both body and spirit. He lit up our lives and those of the many friends he had all over the world.

“Our love and sympathy go out to Andrew and Stephen’s family. We love you and will miss you forever ’Steo’.”

The band’s manager Louis Walsh pulled out of the X Factor live finals show, saying he was “very shocked and exceptionally upset”.

Outside Gately’s sea-view villa, mourners left flowers and paid tribute to the star.

British ex-pat Kate Whillock, 22, who lives nearby, said she had met Gately twice and described him as a “down-to-earth, genuinely lovely guy”.

Ms Whillock, who works in real estate and moved to Port Andratx four years ago, said: “When he’s here he seems to have a pretty chilled out time. He’s usually just relaxing in a cafe. I’ve never seen him out partying on the social scene at all.”

Gately was often spotted relaxing in the upmarket Cappuccino cafe and was recently seen dining with singer Chesney Hawkes in the pricey Portobello restaurant, she added.

Mark Kirsch, 49, a travel agent from Bushey, in Hertfordshire, who has a holiday apartment in a block near Gately’s, said he was upset and shocked by the news.

“I met Stephen a couple of times,” he said. “He was a private guy who kept himself to himself. He definitely wasn’t living a wild rock ’n’ roll lifestyle here. There were no wild parties, nothing like that at all.”

Gately seemed in good health recently, he added.

One note left with flowers read: “For Stephen, God bless you, rest in peace. Although we didn’t know you personally, we admired and like you as a person, not just your talent. Sue and Dave. PS. Deepest sympathy to you Andrew.”

Gately sent ripples through the pop music world 10 years ago when he announced that he was gay.

He was introduced to Andrew Cowles by Elton John and his partner David Furnish and the pair married in a civil union in 2006.

He joined Boyzone in 1993 after answering an advert in Dublin to audition for Ireland’s first boyband.

Gately also starred in West End musicals, including 'Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat', and appeared on the ITV1 show 'Dancing on Ice'.

He last posted a message on his Twitter page on October 6, writing: “Still busy, lots going on. Focusing on finishing my book next so may be quiet here.”

Elton John was one of many stars of the music world who paid tribute to the singer, saying he was the “kindest, gentlest soul”.

Musical impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber added that Gately was “enormously talented”.

Scores of devastated fans also posted tributes on the singer’s Facebook page, expressing sadness and disbelief at the news of his death.

In an interview with the Press Association in April, as he prepared for Boyzone’s latest tour, Gately said: “The last two years have been fantastic.”

He described how he was trying to get in to shape for rehearsals.

“You want to do your best on stage for the audience,” he said. "I think it’s really important to be fit, to look your best. The five of us as individuals need to look our best on stage.”

Gately also said he hoped his children’s fantasy novel, 'The Tree of Seasons', which he spent three years on, would be released for Christmas this year.

He said it would be his “dream” for it to be turned into a film.