FAMILY and friends will gather at St James Church in Devizes on Thursday November 9 to say goodbye to James Lynch, nine, who died after a four-year fight against cancer.

His father, Richard, said James, who died last Thursday, had beaten the cancer, it had not beaten him.

Mr Lynch, 33, said the family was grateful for the four years they had with James after his disease was discovered by a fluke.

Mr Lynch, an Army sergeant, said the family was living in Northern Ireland in September 1996 when James fell off his bike and had a routine scan at the hospital. The scan discovered a tumour in his left kidney which, if not treated straight away, would have meant James would have died that Christmas.

Because the hospital was in a sensitive area, the Army arranged for a move to Devizes, close to his mother Suzanne's family in Bromham.

James underwent an operation to remove the tumour and, until September 1997, received chemotherapy at Princess Margaret Hospital, Swindon, under Dr Stephen Lowis, consultant oncologist of Bristol Children's Hospital.

James became close to his grandfather, Mick Gregory, and was often found at Netherstreet, Bromham, driving a go-kart and, latterly, a Ford Sierra saloon, on Mr Gregory's land.

Then a tumour developed on his spine in March 1998. Although he had to cope with stronger chemotherapy drugs James took just a weekend to recover from his sessions of treatment before returning to Southbroom Junior School .

Headteacher Julia Dowdeswell said: "James was a very cheerful little boy. There was always lots of sparkle about him and he had a mischievous little gleam in his eye. He was very popular."

Last April James suffered another relapse and underwent a stem-cell transplant. He recovered but on March 17 this year relapsed again and Dr Lowis said they should concentrate on giving him the best quality of life they could.

His grandparents loaned the family the money to fly to Florida, and with helps from the Army, charities and friends, James, his parents and brother Ryan, seven, went to Disney World.

On their return, a new drug had no effect and the family agreed to let things take their course. James died at home two days after his mum's 33rd birthday.

Mr Lynch said: "He never complained about the pain because he didn't want his mum to worry. He had a short life but he did more things than someone who lives to 80 or 90."

Mary van Riemsdyk, James' home tutor during his last months, said: "He was very creative and he adored working with his hands. He became quite a collector of crystals, Roman coins, anything like that and visited Devizes Museum regularly with his grandad.

"He was so courageous. He never complained and rarely lost his temper. He loved lavender and towards the end wanted that smell around him all the time."

The memorial service is at St James Church, Southbroom, today at 2pm. Donations should go to the children's cancer charities CALM and CLIC.