Richard Bell has died after a three month battle against cancer and will be buried today at Utley cemetery.

Four years ago Mr Bell, of Elmwood Road, Keighley, underwent surgery at St Luke's Hospital, Bradford, to remove a cancer in his leg and went back to work as a pipe-fitter after being given the all-clear.

His 27 year-old wife Bernadette, who nursed him through his last illness, says: "He was a very brave man. He was so sad that he would not see our three-year-old daughter Lauren grow up. He is to be buried at Utley near our still-born baby Robert, our first child."

"Richard was in such a lot of pain but at the end he passed away so peacefully."

She says Mr Bell was at first treated for a trapped nerve in the summer and it was not until about October that doctors diagnosed cancer of the liver.

Further tests revealed that the disease had spread to his kidneys and lungs.

Chemoth-erapy was not effective. "Just before Chris-tmas he was told he only had a few weeks to live," says Mrs Bell.

He was educated at Aireville School, Skipton, and lived in the town in Cromwell Street before moving to Keighley when he met Bernadette. The couple lived in Park Lane, Keighley for about seven years and only moved into Elmwood Road about a week ago.

Mr Bell's funeral will take place at Keighley Parish Church. He leaves a mother and father, brother and sister.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.