THE ashes of a young leukaemia victim will be taken on a festive holiday to America with his family - who say they just want him with them for Christmas.

Jacob Hesmondhalgh, 11, formerly of Darwen, died in April following a relapse just four days after doctors told his family the illness had returned.

His mother Rae, 40 and her new husband Gordon, 38, put Jacob's ashes into a soft toy and took them on honeymoon after he died before he was set to give his mother away at their wedding.

Now they have set off with the cuddly leopard to spend Christmas in Florida after deciding they would find it too painful to stay at home without Jacob.

The youngster's family will spend Christmas and New Year in Disney World and attend a Christmas Day breakfast with Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters - something Jacob had always wanted to do.

Rae said: "We couldn't stay at home. Last Christmas we were all at home and Jacob was quite poorly.

"I think we would all find it too difficult. So we decided to go away.

"Jacob loved America and so do his sisters. I think they will enjoy the season more too being away from home."

Jacob, who attended Ashleigh Primary School before moving to live with his mother in Cardiff, was a mascot for Blackburn Rovers.

He led the team out at the Millennium Stadium for last year's FA Cup semi-final. Midway through intensive chemotherapy, his dream came true when he was invited to be mascot for the match, which Rovers lost to Arsenal.

Jacob, who has ten-year-old and eleven-year-old sisters, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, an aggressive type of cancer, in February 2005.

He underwent a bone marrow transplant earlier this year, which was treated as a success, but blood results showed that the leukaemia had returned.

Jacob was buried in Cardiff and a bench in his memory was installed at the football club he loved as a memorial for his family and friends in Darwen to visit.