Victim ‘truly Relatives’ tribute to bowls

BRITAIN’S latest victim of the coronavirus died in hospital after coming home from a Caribbean cruise.

The 83-year-old bowls fanatic was hailed by his family as “a truly loving and wonderful person”.

And a family friend called him a “lovely man and a true gentleman.”

But anguished relatives cannot grieve properly because they have been forced into isolation to stop the virus from spreading.

The family posted tributes on social media as health chiefs confirmed the UK yesterday saw its highest daily jump in coronavirus cases, leaping by 42 to 206.

Relatives of the great-grandad, who leaves a wife and grown-up children, said on social media he

“would go to any length to support and protect his family”.

They said: “We as a family have lost a truly loving and wonderful person and are trying to come to terms with this. He was a wonderful husband, dad, grandad and great-grandad.”

The family said in a statement via Milton

Keynes

University

Hospital: “This whole nightmare is not something that we or our loved one asked for. As we are in isolation currently, we cannot arrange for him to be put to rest, and with all the activity that is going around with regards to everyone’s concerns we cannot grieve him as we would wish to.” The man had come home to Bletchley, Beds, from a cruise when he fell ill.

He was admitted to the hospital on Monday and placed on an open ward – because the Caribbean did not feature on a danger list of locations. His family last night confirmed “after observations” he was removed him from the ward “as a precaution to carry out more intensive tests”.

Sources say he was put in isolation as medics tested him for Covid-19.

He was pronounced dead on Thursday night, just 60 minutes after medics had confirmed he had the virus.

Yesterday one close relative posted online a treasured picture with him, adding: “Rest in peace and goodbye... love always you will always be in our hearts xxx”. Another shared a single picture,