THE devastated family of a popular Burnley pensioner today spoke of their heartache following his death in a road accident and said: "He'll be sorely missed."

John Fallows, known to friends and family as Jack, was walking back to his home in Cardinal Street following a night out on Thursday when he was involved in a collision with a car on Colne Road.

Moments before the fatal accident Jack, 71, was drinking with pals at the Paradise Club where he was a well-known and popular face.

He had just returned from a holiday with friends in Greece and was looking forward to spending Christmas with his family.

Today daughter Jean Ainsworth, 43, of Heald Wood Drive, Burnley, said Jack would be missed by everyone who knew him.

She said: "He really enjoyed living life to the full and people couldn't believe he was in his 70s. He was an avid reader and loved his books and he enjoyed going to the cinema.

"He loved travelling abroad and spent a lot of time on holiday with his friends, in fact had just come back from a trip to one of the Greek islands.

"The Paradise Club was one of his favourite places to go in the evening and he was well-known up there. He had a good circle of friends he could meet up with for a drink and a game of dominoes or cards.

"He was also very proud of his collections. He was a bit of a hoarder and loved going round antiques fairs and collecting things. He had a huge collection of candles in his house."

Jack, born and bred in Burnley, spent his working life as a thermal engineer at the now defunct Padiham power station.

Jean said she and her family, husband Tom, 46 and children Emily and Charlotte, both 17 and Thomas, 19 had been looking forward to spending Christmas with her father. She said: "It would have been really nice to have him here on Christmas Day. He was so generous and had a very dry sense of humour. He will be missed."

Jack's funeral will be held next week.

A man was due to appear in court today charged in connection with the accident.

Zahid Shafi, 38, of Colne Road, Burnley, was arrested and charged with a variety of traffic offences, including dangerous driving, driving without due care and attention and failing to stop at the scene of an accident.