AS the Tour de France tore through Haworth, a musician lay dying from a massive heart attack as his young daughter ran to raise the alarm.

Sam Carlisle, 36 had walked through the packed streets to take four-year-old Skye to meet her mother Jo-Jo who was serving refreshments at the Parkside social club when suddenly he became violently ill, but managed to push his daughter through its doors before collapsing at the side of the building.

His partner, Miss Carlisle raced out to find him unconscious on the ground and tried to revive him as nearby paramedics made their way through last Sunday's crowds.

"I tried shaking him, shouting at him, but it was a massive heart attack and I felt he'd already gone," said grief-stricken Miss Carlisle, 34 yesterday at their home in Haworth.

"Sam had suffered chest pains since Easter and had been to the doctors and hospital but nothing had been diagnosed.

"I think he knew what was happening and he pushed Skye into the club to spare her from seeing him die."

As Miss Carlisle paused, her daughter who starts Haworth Primary school in September said: "My Daddy's in the sky now," adding proudly "I can write Daddy's name" and then did so again and again.

Mr Carlisle was taken to Airedale Hospital but efforts to resuscitate him failed.

The guitarist was a leading light in the local music scene having played with notable bands including The Undecided and Wet Paint.

His father, retired languages lecturer Bob Carlisle, helped promote Airedale bands and when he died three years ago aged 63 a tribute concert was held in his memory - organised by son Sam.

"His dad's death hit him very hard, but we had Skye and he devoted himself to being an at-home father, " said Miss Carlisle, who is organising a celebration funeral at Oakworth Crematorium on Friday, complete with a guitar-covered coffin at which people have been urged to wear bright colours.