Dying Hartlepool music lover's friends raise Glastonbury funds

Friends of a festival fan who has weeks left to live are raising funds to fly him by helicopter to Glastonbury to fulfil his "dying wish".

Nigel Stonehouse, 58, a former bricklayer from Hartlepool, was diagnosed with cancer in mid-May.

He had been due to go to the music festival in Somerset, which begins on Thursday, but is too unwell to travel without medical support.

More than £13,000 has been raised with Fatboy Slim offering support.

The DJ said he wanted to help fulfil "Nigel's dying wish".

Mr Stonehouse, who has been attending the festival for 30 years and has a ticket for this year's event, was diagnosed with kidney cancer but that spread to his lungs with doctors saying it was incurable, his friends said.

His close friend, Lizzie Beggs, said staff at North Tees Hospital where Mr Stonehouse is an in-patient said they would "do all they can to make this happen".

She said: "This is obviously a huge undertaking, and will be costly, the palliative care team suggested commissioning a helicopter - the first quote we have had is for £12,000.

"Nige was planning to be with us all at Glastonbury next week, and he has made it his dying wish to make it there, even if only for a few hours for one last time."

His friends said he is "very stubborn and determined" and was looking forward to watching Diana Ross this year.

Maria Beggs said: "He's feeling positive and it's given him a boost and something positive to hope for."

Acts set to perform at this year's festival include North Shields-born Sam Fender, Billie Eilish and Paul McCartney.

Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].