A BIRMINGHAM student was killed by a train hours after being dropped off by his parents to start university.

Petrocelli Chitanda’s family were yesterday attending his funeral on what would have been his 21st birthday.

He died during a night out before he started his studies.

A tribute to the Zimbabwean-born student from his mum said ‘He was one true angel on earth’.

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A TALENTED Birmingham student was hit by a train and killed just hours after he was waved off at university in Newcastle by his parents.

Petrocelli Chitanda’s mum Phoebe paid tribute to her son, who had just completed his A levels with distinctions at Solihull College, saying that he was a “true angel on Earth”.

His family and friends held his funeral service at Stockland Green Methodist Church yesterday – on what would have been his 21st birthday.

They travelled from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Folkestone.

A tribute to the Zimbabwean-born student from his 44-year-old mum, was read out by his aunt, Pamela Bell, from Bath.

“He was one true angel on Earth and I understand why God would want him with him,” she said.

“I have trouble accepting you are gone, so I won’t. It will be like we went for a while without seeing each other. You must know I love and miss you.”

Mr Chitanda, of Pype Hayes, died on a railway line in Newcastle in the early hours of Saturday, September 17.

It is believed he had been hit by a freight train after enjoying his first freshers’ night out in the city.

His 58-year-old father, David, and mother had taken him to Newcastle just hours before his death. Mr Chitanda was due to begin his industrial design degree course at Northumbria University just two days later.