A former professional boxer has died in a fall at his home in Bury.

It is believed Mr Jimmy Ford was attempting to fix a loose slate on the roof of his house in Horne Street on Friday when he fell from the ladder. He managed to crawl into the kitchen where his body was discovered by his grandson, Darrell.

A post mortem examination revealed the 94-year-old great-great grandfather had suffered a heart attack which caused him to fall from the ladder.

One of six brothers, Jimmy went to St Marie's School and started work at the age of 14 at Taylor and Nick's Bleachers and Dyers in the town.

As a teenager, he took an interest in boxing and trained at the Bury YMCA, where he was spotted by boxing manager Tom Parker, who took the youngster under his wing and nurtured his professional fighting career, in which he suffered just one defeat.

At the age of 24, Jimmy married Agnes and the couple went on to have three daughters and one son. Due to the commitments of supporting his wife and young family, and the low pay in the boxing profession, he was forced to retire from fighting. He then spent most of his spare time with his whippets hunting rabbits around the local countryside.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Jimmy enlisted in the RAF where he served with distinction. After the war, he worked for Bury Council as a journeyman slater, fixing roofs and erecting television aerials for 25 years up until his retirement in the 1960s.

His daughter Vera said: "While working for the council there were no vehicles to use, so my dad pushed all his materials and tools around on a handcart, from site to site, to undertake roofing repairs.

"This sight became so familiar to local residents that on leaving the council, his handcart was placed in Bury's museum where it is still on display today as a permanent reminder of bygone days. My dad would also often been seen pushing his bicycle around and would sit in the town centre regaling local people with stories of his childhood and of Bury past.

Jimmy's wife died two years ago and one of his daughters, Angela, was killed in a motorcycle accident.

Vera added: "My dad was a fiercely independent person who was best known for his outgoing personality, wit and sense of humour.

"He was always young at heart and still thought of himself as being 21. Bury has lost another of its great characters."

His funeral is expected to take place later next week with a service at St Marie's RC Church, followed by interment at Bury Cemetery.