A BRAVE dad who was told he had terminal cancer has died after a two-year battle with the disease.

Shadsworth father-of-four Richard Sharples was told he had months to live after being diagnosed with bowel and liver cancer in June 2017.

The cancer then spread to his kidney, lungs and blood and on March 23, Mr Sharples died at his home in Gleneagles Court, Blackburn, surrounded by friends and family.

The 63-year-old’s death comes after his family had claimed he had been refused chemotherapy treatment at Royal Blackburn Hospital.

His family claimed they were told he could have no further treatment as he could potentially die from it.

Now following his death, Mr Sharples’ family have organised an ‘Elvis Presley themed’ funeral to remember him, as he loved the famous singer.

READ > Large fire breaks out at The Bureau Centre for the Arts Blackburn

Paying tribute, his daughter Tammy Sharples, said: “The funeral will be a fitting tribute to remember Richard, so people can know what we was like as a person.

“It will be a celebration of his life as he was a very caring person.

“He thought the world of everyone and who put everyone first.”

The funeral will see a horse-drawn carriage carrying Mr Sharples’ coffin travel from Ms Sharple’s house on St Aidan’s Close, Mill Hill at around 1.15pm on Friday to Pleasington crematorium where the funeral service will then take place from 2.15pm.

One of the horses will be named after famous singer Elvis and the two horses will both have a yellow drape over them.

While the priest conducting the ceremony will be wearing an Elvis-themed wig and glasses.

Guests to the funeral will also be asked to wear black and yellow while Mr Sharples will wear a beloved yellow jacket of his in his coffin before he is cremated in it.

Ms Sharples said: “Richard loved Elvis Presley so we decided to go with this for his funeral.

“He also used to wear the yellow jacket all the time.

“He loved it and bought it off his brother-in-law Mark.

“He would wear it nearly every day and this is why we decided for him to wear it in the coffin and be cremated in it."

Mr Sharples, who worked as a builder for a number of years, was a dad to Andrea, Gareth, Richard and Tammy.

He was also a grandad to Megan, Jamie, Amy, Freya, Brogan, Arlo, Jason, Luke, Kelsey and Harrison and Tammy.