THE wife of Laneshaw Bridge man David Hadfield has paid tribute to a ‘huge family man’.

Mr Hadfield, 61, died on Tuesday after a seven-month battle with motor neurone disease.

His funeral will take place next Thursday from 2.20pm at Skipton Crematorium.

Mr Hadfield, founder of Pendle Blues FC and fire safety firm Pendle Nu-Tech, married his wife, Tina, in 1985.

She said: “When I first met Dave, I gave him my number and he said he’d ring me.

“He did, two years later, and the rest was history.

“He was a huge family man and he really was special, not just to us, but to the whole community that he wanted to do so much for.

“He was so proud of our two sons, and I’m just so thankful that he was able to see Seb take over the family business, and to see Jordan become a head chef.

“I know that made him very happy.”

His sons Sebastian, 26, and Jordan, 24, are part of a 28-strong team running the Manchester 10k in May to raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

Mr Hadfield, of School Lane, Laneshaw Bridge, moved to the village from his hometown of Oldham in 1988.