Ex-Scottish footballer Hampshire passes away aged 40 after being hit by car

Paul Hampshire has died at the age of 40 after being hit by a car on Sunday.

The Scot played for Raith Rovers, Berwick Rangers, and East Fife during his career whilst his brother, Steven, played for Chelsea. Hampshire would finish in career down in Cornwall, joining up with Newquay AFC, whom he helped win Division One West in 2012.

The club described Hampshire as '"a class act" and "instrumental" in their previous success. A Raith Rovers statement read: "The club were saddened to learn of the passing of former player Paul Hampshire, who died after being struck by a car on Sunday. Paul signed for the Rovers on the same day as Laurie Ellis in July 1998 from Hutchison Vale, and went on to make 69 appearances scoring 2 goals. A native of Dunbar, he was the younger brother of Steven, a striker who played for Chelsea and the Pars.

"Paul is remembered as being blessed with a wonderful left foot, and he left the Rovers to sign for Berwick Rangers in May 2003. He also played for East Fife before playing out the remainder of his career in junior football. Our thoughts are with the Hampshire family - a full obituary will be published in due course."

An East Fife statement read: "The club are saddened to learn of the passing of former player Paul Hampshire. Paul made 53 appearances during his time at Bayview, scoring 5 goals. Our thoughts go out to Paul's family and friends at this sad time."

Berwick Rangers vice-Chairman Craig Forsyth, who was also on the Board of Directors during Paul's stint at the club from 2003 to 2005, said: "We were incredibly saddened to learn about Paul's passing. Paul was a fantastic, technically gifted footballer - the sort fans would pay their admission money alone to watch - and was a great asset to the club in his two seasons, particularly in the 2003/04 season when he only missed one league match. He was also a top professional and a great person to be around, and all at the club would like to send our condolences to Paul's family at this sad time."