A WIFE has paid tribute to her caring and compassionate husband who died two weeks after being given 24 hours to live.

Solicitor Mark Mason was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, lymphoma of the heart, in August last year and his tumour was being treated with chemotherapy when the father of two collapsed at the home on Christmas Eve.

On Mother's Day, March 2, the disease was found to have spread to the 50-year-old's central nervous system and was deemed untreatable.

Doctors at Christie's Hospital did not expect him to survive the next 24 hours but he grew stronger and was moved to Bolton Hospice where he died on Tuesday.

His wife of nearly 14 years, Laraine, aged 44, has paid tribute to Mr Mason's courage and said: "From day one he said he was going to conquer it.

"He told the doctors he was a married man with two young children so was determined to beat it.

"He was prepared to go through whatever it took.

"He lasted two weeks longer than they said."

The couple had two children, Alexandra, aged 12, and Victoria, aged 10, and lived in Bryants Acre, Heaton.

Mrs Mason, also a solicitor with the Crown Prosecution Service in Bolton, has described the family's shock at his illness and said: "Cancer hits like a hammer blow.

"It was a great shock but when we were told it was curable we thought fine, cancer isn't the dreadful disease it once was.

"But as soon as you hear it's spread you know the prognosis is going to be poor.

"It's something you've got to come to terms with and it's been a rollercoaster.

"It's hard to describe it in words but it's devastating.

"We will miss him but we won't forget him."

Mr Mason's colleagues at Widdows Mason, where he had been a managing partner for 25 years and at the Bolton branch for more than five years, have also paid tribute to him.

His business partner Keith Freer said: "He fought his illness with courage, determination and humour.

"He was a very well respected member of the firm and will be sorely missed by all his friends and colleagues.

"For a number of years Mark has also sat as a deputy district judge and, no doubt, were it not for his illness, he would most probably have received a full-time judicial appointment."

The Mason family would like to thank everyone at Bolton Hospice for their support.

The funeral will take place on Tuesday at Christ Church Heaton, followed by private committal at Overdale Crematorium.