THE family of a Ribble Valley man who lost his battle against leukaemia just days after getting married today appealed for more people to become bone marrow donors.

Andrew 'Ollie' Hollingworth's relatives spoke out as they praised his friends for helping raise more than £14,000 in his memory - less than six months after he died.

Andrew, 37, died at his home in Thirlmere Drive, Longridge, days after marrying partner of 18 months Kirsty Astley, 22, of Langho, in front of hundreds of family and friends.

The wedding was arranged quickly and was only made possible after the Archbishop of Canterbury granted a special licence.

Andrew, who worked for Spar, proposed to Kirsty, a Blackburn Rovers matchday steward and trainee nurse, after being told he only had weeks to live.

In the weeks after his death, Andrew's friends vowed to raise money in his memory, while his family resolved to raise awareness about the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust.

Although a charity, it is the only register of people prepared to donate bone marrow. The only way of beating leukaemia is to have a bone marrow transplant.

No match could be found for Andrew and now his relatives hope that his death may spur people into registering details of their bone marrow.

Irene Edwards, partner to Andrew's former newsagent father Jack, said: "You never know the difference it could make.

"We would appeal for anyone who knew Andrew, and who knows what we've lost with him going, to consider going on the register so that someone else's life could be saved."

It is a message echoed by Abbey Village man Mick Baines, who is beating the killer cancer thanks to a bone marrow match found via the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust in America.

He said: "It saved my life. There is no two ways about it."

Events held in Longridge include a charity golf day -in which a pair of boots signed by Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy were raffled - a football day and a charity walk.

Jack said: "We are incredibly proud of what people have done in Andrew's memory."