A DELIVERY worker and father of two young children has lost his fight for life after suffering a fit at his home.

Warburtons worker Stephen Dobson, 24, of Bristol Street, never regained consciousness after deteriorating following the collapse at his home last Friday morning.

He collapsed while on holiday from work and was taken to Burnley General Hospital before being transferred to Royal Preston Hospital on the Friday night.

His family made the decision to turn of his life-support machine on Monday.

His father Steve and other relatives were at his side while he died.

His mother Jackie, who works as a packer at Warburtons in Burnley, was too upset to stay while the machine was switched off.

Stephen, a Burnley FC fan who used to play football for Worsthorne, will be buried in his Burnley shirt. Steve, of Cog Lane, said he believed his son could have died as a result of banging his head on the tailboard of a van three weeks ago. "It's hard to say what caused it but it was probably a tumour or a burst vessel in his head," he said.

"He mentioned the bang on his head to me and his mother. We've been told it will probably be put down to natural causes."

Steve paid tribute to his son, who was a former pupil of Holy Trinity and Ivy Bank schools, in Burnley: "He was very well liked. I didn't realise how well he was liked until this happened.

"He had lots of friends in the area but I'm surprised how many."

Stephen, who also leaves a 14-year-old sister Zoe, delivered for Warburtons throughout East Lancashire. He lived with his girlfriend, Vicky Wilson, 27, and their two children Jake Elliott, two, and Ben Samuel, six months.

Vicky, who met Stephen on holiday in Turkey four years ago, said: "He was such a lovely person and did everything for us. He thought the world of his kids. Everybody just loved him.

"It's so hard to believe that he's gone.

"I keep on thinking he's going to walk through the door any minute.

"I'm just in shock at the moment."

His death has been referred to the coroner and his funeral takes place on Tuesday at 1.30pm in St Matthew's Church, Burnley, followed by a short service at Burnley Cemetery.

He will be buried with his grandmother, Alice Winter, who looked after him as a baby.