A WOMAN who married her childhood sweetheart with a little help from The Northern Echo has paid tribute to him as a generous and caring man.

Patrick Giles, 47, died on Monday from a heart attack, having suffered seven strokes over a six-year period.

His wife, Andrea, also 47, of Brompton, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire, said she has lost her best friend.

"He was a lovely man and if anyone asked him to do something, he would do it if he could," she said.

The couple dated briefly as teenagers after meeting at a Christmas dance, but later went their separate ways and married other partners. In the mid-1990s they met up again, fell in love and married in 1998.

Mrs Giles won a £100 voucher towards the rental of her wedding gown in The Northern Echo's bridal contest after touching the hearts of competition staff with their love story.

Mr Giles, who had a son, Gregory, from his first marriage, had worked as a plasterer and been landlord in two hotels in York and at the Leeming Bar Hotel.

"He was known as Patch by all who knew him. He was somebody that everybody wanted to be with. He was very generous and he made me smile," said Mrs Giles.

A funeral service is being held at Brompton Parish Church, on Monday, at 2.30pm, followed by a cremation at Darlington Crematorium.