PUPILS took part in a special Mass at St Theodore's High School in Burnley in memory of brave teenager Mark LeCheminant who lost his battle against cancer.

Mark attended Gawthorpe High School in Padiham and his dad, Anthony, is caretaker at St Theodore's.

Staff, pupils and governors at Gawthorpe were saddened to hear of Mark's death and said they will remember Mark, 17, as "a cheerful, happy young man who coped with his illness with great courage".

Mr LeCheminant said: "Mark has fought against cancer for 17 years, but it kept on recurring.

"He was in hospital when he was a baby and they seemed to have stopped it, but two years ago it started again.

"All through his life he had to keep going to hospital for checks, but he never complained and he didn't let it interfere with school.

"He enjoyed school, especially computing, but sadly he was not able to take his GCSEs."

Despite his illness, Anthony realised his ambition and passed his driving test in August last year.

He died peacefully at home on Christmas Eve.

Mark leaves a brother Andrew, 19. Tragically, his mum Christine also died of cancer six years ago.

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