COMEDIAN Les Dawson was the first person to be listed on a new memorial website launched by his widow, Tracy, in Blackpool on Friday.

The ForeverRemembered website was developed by two North West entrepreneurs so that families could share their memorials to loved ones on-line.

Frank Wilkinson, managing director of the ForeverRemembered Ltd, and Brian Everall, chairman, said the website is free to view, and anyone can search and browse the on-line memorials at www.ForeverRemembered.co.uk

They added that once the basic memorial has been registered, the page can be accessed at any time so that photographs and tributes can be added. Users can also build up an entire family history by linking memorials together to form a family tree.

Anyone wanting to create a memorial will be charged a one-off registration fee, fixed at £10 for the first 5,000 customers. This includes a unique usercode and password allowing updates to be made, the company said.

Launching the site, Tracy Dawson said: "This is a fantastic way to ensure that the spirit of a loved one stays with us forever.

"Although Les was best known as a great comedian, his family will remember him as a marvellous father, grandfather and husband who had a wonderful gift for making people feel special.

"For years to come I will be able to share many of my precious photos and treasured memories and I am delighted that Les' is the first memorial to be place on the Forever Remembered website."

ForeverRemembered's Mr Wilkinson said: "With the passing of each generation so many details of a person's life are lost forever, their memory living on only with the people closest to them."

And Mr Everall added: "This website will ensure that photographs normally confined to a drawer or photo album, and treasured memories, can be shared by family and friends the world over."