A MUCH-LOVED fundraiser from Ellesmere Port has died after suffering multiple organ failure during surgery.

Billy Birch, 76, had been battling in intensive care after he was first admitted to the Countess of Chester Hospital with stomach pains on Wednesday, November 29.

He was showing some signs of improvement – but yesterday doctors said there was nothing more they could do to help him and the family agreed to switch off the life-support machines.

Billy, who had been in an induced coma, passed away shortly before 10pm surrounded by his family and children Mally, Neil, Stephen and Cheryl.

Since the death of his wife Sylvia in 1991 he dedicated his life to collecting money for worthy causes and raised more than £113,000.

Mally told the Standard this morning: “As his son I can't speak highly enough of him. I was proud to call him my dad.

“He was fighting right up until the end. We were saying to him 'go with our mum now. She's waiting for you'.”

Mally had asked this newspaper to keep people informed of his dad's condition, and said everyone will be welcome at the funeral, the details of which will be available soon.

“We just want to give him the best send-off possible now,” he said. “It will be an open funeral because that's what he would have wanted.

“The family would like to thank your readers for their support and we are so grateful for all the prayers we have received. It's been massively encouraging; everyone loved him so much.”

He added: “We'd also like to thank the intensive care unit team, doctors, nurses, and consultants who have worked tirelessly around the clock for dad. We can't thank them enough.

“The battle he showed was unbelievable. He wasn't expected to survive 24 hours but he fought for almost two weeks. Unfortunately it was just one battle too many.”

Billy, a grandfather of six, survived a work accident in 1991 that saw him crushed between a skip and a truck. Emerging from a three-week coma he vowed to do all he could to help medical services in the area.

He began collecting for the Countess of Chester Hospital but most recently has been focusing his efforts on the Deafness Support Network, based in the city.

He has also helped provide equipment at Dorin Park Specialist College in Upton, Chester, as well as for the Coronation Centre in Ellesmere Port, among other causes.

Billy has won a number of gongs including a ‘Community Thank You’ award at Cheshire Constabulary's Achieving Excellence awards ceremony in 2015.

It is understood he was due to pick up another award in the coming weeks.