The family of William Chapman, 23, has paid tribute to him as a "bright, warm and engaging" young man following his death after he entered a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster.

Chapman visited the park on Saturday and was attacked after going into the animal's pen. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident occurred shortly after 13:30 BST and led to the park's evacuation and ongoing closure.

In a statement released on Tuesday evening, Chapman's family revealed he had "suffered from significant mental illness over a number of years and had been prescribed strong medication." They added, "It will be for the coroner to decide what part this played in his death. We would ask everybody to respect that process."

The City of Doncaster Council has launched a health and safety investigation into the death, and South Yorkshire Police confirmed Chapman's family is being supported by specialist officers. An inquest is scheduled to open at Doncaster Coroner's Court on Thursday.

An eyewitness described seeing Chapman wearing headphones and pacing near the enclosure before he entered it. Mobile phone footage, believed to be from Chapman, appears to show the inside of the enclosure as he approaches the tiger.

Chapman was a former pupil of the Jackie Palmer Stage School, where he was remembered fondly as both a person and a performer. "It was a privilege to be part of his journey, and he will be remembered with great fondness by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him," the school said in a tribute.

As a child, Chapman appeared in several television productions, including the ITV production "May Contain Nuts" alongside Shirley Henderson and Darren Boyd, and portrayed Edward Jenner in the BBC series "True Stories."

The family expressed their devastation and asked for privacy, noting that the "publication and circulation of deeply offensive media content is causing them severe distress at this exceptionally vulnerable time." They are hopeful authorities will "get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did."