FRIENDS of a World War Two veteran who campaigned against the closure of care homes say he died of a broken heart after seeing the home where his wife was a resident close.

Norman Hickey, who won the hearts of Lancashire people for his role in campaigning against the closure of county council care homes, died yesterday.

The 84-year-old came to symbolise the passion and outrage felt by people across the county when he joined the fight to stop Lancashire County Council closing two thirds of their care homes last year.

He died at 5am yesterday, five months after his wife and a week after the closure of Northlands home where she was a resident.

It is thought he suffered a stroke last Wednesday and was taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary, and later Queen's Park Hospital, where he passed away.

His beloved wife Phoebe, who he had been married to for 55 years, was admitted to Northlands, in Park Lane, Great Harwood, in January last year, three days before the council announced it was one of 32 homes facing the chop.

The former soldier, who fought with the East Lancashire Regiment's 5th Battalion, joined Hyndburn Action Committee (HAC) to fight what he saw as a battle against injustice.

In March he travelled to London with fellow campaigners to challenge the county council with a judicial review in the High Court, forcing an 11th hour pledge from the authority to assess care home residents before moving them.

The following month Phoebe, 86, died. As a tribute to his dedication he was made honorary chairman of the HAC in June.

Mr Hickey -- affectionately known as Stormin' Norman -- won people's hearts with his passionate speeches and would often break down and cry while talking about Phoebe.

Among his visitors in hospital were fellow campaigners Lynne Atkinson, vice chairman of Hyndburn Action Committee, and Kath Shackleton.

Mrs Atkinson said she believed the veteran campaigner had died of a broken heart.

"He was so angry he kept crying all the time, saying Northlands had closed. They said he would never have been the same again so really it's a blessing.

"Northlands closed last week and I think that did him. He was writing a letter about it and he got so angry his blood pressure shot up and he had a stroke.

"Norman died of a broken heart as far as I'm concerned."

Mrs Shackleton said: "It's no coincidence that the week they finally closed Northlands, Norman had a stroke. He had seen them all off and watched them all leave and he got upset.

"It would have killed him if he had come out and not been able to look after himself and it would have been a cruel irony if he had needed a care home.

"But he's with Phoebe now and no doubt he's happy. He was a star, an absolute star. It broke his heart what they did to Northlands, it really did."

Funeral arrangements will be announced later in the week.