A MEMORIAL service is to be held for a "larger than life" Burnley-born man who died near his Spanish home, aged 39.

Father-of-two Duane Mills died after a heart attack on December 11 last year and was buried six days later in a ceremony in Spain.

Many of his friends from East Lancashire were unable to attend so a memorial service is to be held to pay their respects.

Clarets fan Mr Mills, who would have been 40 next month, grew up in the Burnley Wood area and attended Towneley High School.

He retained close links with the area and always returned there on his visits back to the UK.

Mr Mills formerly worked at Cloverbrook and Vita Achter in East Lancashire. In 1993 he moved to Sweden where he lived and worked for four years, mostly in the building trade. He then moved to Norway in 1998 and spent a year working on the oil rigs.

In 1999, he went to Spain and set up home there with his Dutch partner, Saskia. He eventually settled in a village near Benidorm where he was living when he died.

As well as Saskia, who will travel from Spain for the service , Mr Mills leaves his parents, brother Tim, 30; sons Leroy, 20, and Josh, 12, and granddaughter, Leah.

Burnley solicitor Dylan Bradshaw grew up with Mr Mills and was a lifelong friend. He said: "Duane's death came as a complete shock to his family and friends.

"He was an outgoing and fun-loving individual, who was larger than life and always optimistic. He will be sadly missed by us all.

"Anybody who knew him is welcome to attend the service and pay their respects."

The memorial service will be held at St Stephen's Church, in Oxford Road, Burnley, on Friday, January 30, at 2pm. Afterwards there will be refreshments at Burnley Wood Conservative Club, in Branch Road.