A MAN whose death sparked a walkout of workers at BAE Samlesbury is being honoured by friends in the pub where he drank.

Alan Mellray, who was 48, of Astley Street, Darwen, died on Tuesday from a suspected heart blood clot.

As BAE staff returned to work and unions and managers continued to hold talks, regulars at Darwen's Bowling Green Hotel began collecting money in memory of Mr Mellray, for the British Heart Foundation.

Landlord Gordon Smith said: "Everyone is shattered about Alan's death. His wife, Lesley, is coping as well as can be expected. Alan was a bubbly character who had a passion for motorbikes and Blackburn Rovers."

The funeral will be at St Barnabas' Church, Darwen, on Tuesday at noon, with cremation at Pleasington at 1pm and a wake in the Bowling Green Hotel afterwards.

Mr Mellray worked on Airbus planes as a fitter at BAE.

Hundreds of day and night shift manual workers downed tools at the Samlesbury plant on Wednesday, in a row over the firm's absentee arrangements. But they returned to work yesterday.

BAE Systems has declined to say whether the walkout was linked to the death but a trade union leader yesterday said workers believe Mr Mellray was treated unfairly.

Union convenor Neil Sheehan today said the atmosphere at the site was tense. Colleagues feel he had been treated unfairly over the months."