THE daughter of a Langho man who lost his fight for life just weeks before he was due to give her away was married yesterday and said: "He would have loved it."

In an emotional service, bride Marisa-Jane Dolphin, 23, said "I do" to her fiance, businessman Martin Semphers, at Mitton Hall, Whalley.

Her dad, Michael Dolphin, 58, from Primrose Terrace, Langho, lost his fight for life in the run up to the big day, four years after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

He appeared in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph saying he did not agree with MND sufferers claiming the right to commit suicide, because he thought it was a sin.

His comments came after a Euthanasia Bill - which could give terminally ill people the right to be helped to die - had a second reading in the House of Lords.

Marisa-Jane, who runs her own health and safety company on the south coast, vowed to go ahead with the wedding as a tribute to her late father.

And yesterday she walked down the aisle with proud brother 30-year-old Gary to the tune of "You're Still You," by Josh Groban. Marisa-Jane, mum to eight-month-old Luca, said: "Dad was really looking forward to the wedding and we told him to keep going and focus on it, but in the last few weeks he got very tired.

"He would have been really mad if we had cancelled the wedding, so I asked Gary to give me away instead."

Michael's wife of 38 years Maureen, 57, said: "I always called him my hero, even before he was taken ill. He never complained and was always happy, laughing and joking. He never let his illness get him down - but it still took him in the end.

"He felt very strongly about the whole issue of suicide.

"He wanted to fight his condition right until the end and used to talk to other people with MND and give them courage.

"He had such a positive attitude."

Michael was a bus driver with Stagecoach - now Lancashire Utd - until he was taken ill and was Stagecoach Bus Driver of the Year in 1997 and 1998. He was an active member of the company's Sports and Social Committee, right up until his death at Queen's Park Hospital, Blackburn.

Marisa-Jane arrived at Mitton Hall in an Austin Sheerline and wore a strapless white gown. She was attended by four-year-old flower girl Elizabeth Nuttall, a family friend.

During the wedding service, she and Martin read each other specially-composed poems

After the wedding, performed by Clitheroe registrar Harry Bretherton, tearful Maureen said: "Michael would have been absolutely delighted with this. It was so lovely."