STAR WARS fan James Boyes is to have the film's theme tune played at his funeral after he lost his battle against cancer.

James, 24, of New Lane, Oswaldtwistle died surrounded by his family at Queen's Park Hospital, Blackburn.

His mother Christine said: "Everyone is just struck numb. We got a call at 8am on Wednesday saying that he had been unwell during the night but he seemed fine when we got there.

"Although he was very tired he wasn't in any great pain and we expected him to bounce back as usual. But he just fell back asleep and went."

Because of his love of science fiction the Star Wars movie theme will be played going into his funeral service and the film's Troopers March on the way out.

James was diagnosed with cancer of the liver while studying for his MA in 1999 at the University of Central Lancashire, Preston, but tests at St James's, Leeds, showed that the cancer had spread to other organs, making a transplant impossible.

Surgery was performed to remove three quarters of his liver and he attended The Christie Hospital, Manchester, as a day patient to undergo courses of chemotherapy.

He even went back to working at Oswaldtwistle Mills, where he had helped at weekends since he was 16, and continued to work on the reception there until five weeks before his death.

Tracy Leeming, his friend and colleague, said: "I'll most remember him for his extraordinary inner strength and courage, a piece of which will live on in every person whose heart he's touched. He was always full of compassion for other people and never let his illness get him down."

His family, including brothers Allan, 33, and David, 30, and sister, Joanne, 31, have got several albums of photographs taken by James, who was often referred to as the David Bailey of Oswaldtwistle.

Many of these will be on display at Immanuel parish church, Oswaldtwistle, on Tuesday when James' funeral service will be held followed by burial in the church grounds.

Tracy also hopes to plant a tree for James in the grounds of Oswaldtwistle Mills in his memory.