YOUNG landlord Marcus Huyton is determined to make a success of a Lydney nightspot in memory of his dad who died on Christmas Eve.

Ian Huyton was just 48 when he died and his family are planning to turn his Road House bar into a fitting memorial to his life.

Relatives have now been told that Mr Huyton died of ischemic hypertensive heart disease.

"He had an underlying problem he did not know about," said daughter Leanne. "He did not have a heart attack, his heart just took its last beat and stopped.

"It was so quick we can hardly believe it. He was so fit and healthy, never smoked and went to the gym."

Father-of-three Mr Huyton took over the former King's Bar with son Marcus, 20, in June last year. He said: "We were determined to make it work before, but now it has to happen.

"I have to make the bar into what it could have been in memory of my dad. It's going to be hard but all the staff and customers have been brilliant."

Mr Huyton's funeral will take place at St Mary's Church in Lydney tomorrow.