A generous hospital porter known for handing out sweets to his colleagues has died after testing positive for coronavirus.
Brian Darlington, a porter with Mid Cheshire Hospitals, died at Leighton Hospital after contracting Covid-19, a spokesman for the hospital trust has said.
His wife Ava paid tribute to him saying: "We were married for 46 years and Brian was a great husband, as well as father and grandfather.
"He was dedicated to the trust, and as a family we are grateful for and appreciative of all of the kind words and messages we have seen and received."
The trust spokesman said Mr Darlington was fondly remembered by colleagues in hotel services for his sense of humour and positive outlook.
Facilities supervisor Richard Studinski said: "Nothing was ever too much trouble for Brian; he worked hard and was happy to do whatever was needed of him.
"He always walked round the hospital with a smile on his face, passing out sweets to colleagues he'd meet on the corridor."
Chief executive James Sumner said: "Brian had dedicated over 20 years to the trust during his NHS career and will be sadly missed by all who knew and worked with him.
"He was without doubt a treasured member of the team at Mid Cheshire."
The tragic news as the death toll in the UK stood at 13,828 on Thursday afternoon after tallies were released individually by UK nations, up from 12,958 on Wednesday.
It does not include deaths in care homes, hospices or private homes, which are feared to be in the thousands.
