A DEVASTATED family today buried their only son after he lost a three-month battle with a rare virus.

Mark Brown died aged 29 in Hope Hospital in Salford from a viral illness called transverse myelitis syndrome, septicaemia and a urine infection.

His father, also called Mark , spoke of his 'popular' son and said his death was a crushing blow to the family.

He said: "He was our only son and the family is completely shattered by his death.

"You do not expect to be burying your own child."

Mark had worked at Texicom, an electronics firm in Haslingden, for about eight years and on January 28, while at work, he was struck down by the virus.

He had lived at Fairfield Avenue, Edgeside, Waterfoot, with his mum Levina and father.

His father said: "He suddenly got a pain in his back and collapsed and they got an ambulance and he was taken to Fairfield Hospital in Bury.

"They thought he had possibly hurt himself getting out of his car but the X-rays did not find anything.

"They had to fit a catheter and he was transferred to Hope Hospital where they did various scans and investigations and they found out he had a virus transverse myelitis syndrome.

"The inflammation affects the nervous system and spinal chord and caused him to lose control of the lower half of his body. We were told some people make a full recovery, some a partial and some do not recover."

Mark, a former student at Fearns High School in Stacksteads, used the school's leisure suite four nights a week, he did not smoke and had a healthy lifestyle.

The keen football fan supported Ipswich Town since he was five when the team won the FA Cup and his family arranged for him to go to see Ipswich when the team played Blackburn Rovers on March 13 at Ewood Park.

His father said: "He was in his wheelchair and we arranged to have a box to watch the match. He thoroughly enjoyed it."

He was allowed home from the hospital for weekends and his family never missed going to Salford to see him in hospital every day.

He leaves his parents, his sisters Julie and Tracy, his half-sister Sharon and five nephews and nieces.

His father said: "He had a very dry sense of humour. He loved a practical joke and he had a lot of very good friends.

"He was involved in the local pool league and had won every trophy there was to win with teams at Waterfoot Working Men's Club and the Royal Hotel."

His funeral was at 11am today at St Anne's Church, Edgeside, when the Rev Harry Graham conducted the service.

As mourners left the church the England football anthem Three Lions on a Shirt was played.

Mark was buried in a family grave in Rawtenstall Cemetery in his treasured England shirt.