A dad-of-two who suffered for 30 years after seeing first-hand the horrors of Hillsborough has tragically died in his sleep.
Grant Lockett, 51, suffered huge mental scars following the 1989 tragedy after he sat above the Leppings Lane terraces where 96 Liverpool fans were killed.
The lifelong Red returned home safely from Sheffield but was hit hard by the horrendous scenes he witnessed inside the stadium.
A civil servant, he also lost several people close to him due to the disaster and was aged just 20 at the time.
It all led to him needing regular support, and he took a recent step to access offers of therapy, provided through a group set up in Liverpool, solely for Hillsborough survivors and supporters affected by the FA Cup semi-final tragedy.
Mr Lockett, loved ones said, was in the "best emotional place he'd been for years", and spoke to friends on Thursday about his excitement about seeing his six-year-old daughter, Natasha.
But late on Friday, he wasn't responding to messages on his phone, prompting a friend to go round to where he lived.
Sadly Mr Lockett was found dead, on Saturday, having suffered suspected heart failure in his sleep.
Today, close friends described him as a "lovely, fantastic man".
One friend added: "Grant dealt with all the nightmares of Hillsborough.
"He'd dealt with everything in his mind, but in the end, his body gave up."
His 23-year-old daughter Alex is now arranging her dad's funeral, and a fundraising appeal has been launched to help pay for it.
Mr Lockett grew up in Lincolnshire, and was living in Norwich when he died.
He was a huge Liverpool fan having followed the Reds most of his life, and used to attend many matches despite the distance.
Once married but now separated, he was in the West Stand, above Leppings Lane, at Hillsborough, but had friends and family in the tragic pens, who survived the disaster.
But his experience triggered complex PTSD which was never properly addressed, and it wasn't until the spring of 2019, when he contacted the Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance (HSA) and started on a potential road to recovery.
With the group's help, he agreed to have "rewind"-type therapy, and although his anxiety had reached chronic levels last December, he slowly started to improve.
Close friend Peter Scarfe, the chairman of HSA, has spoken to Mr Lockett practically every day over the past six months.
Himself a survivor of Pen 4, the 51-year-old, from Sefton Park, formed a bond with Mr Lockett and they shared their internal struggles.
Mr Scarfe, who grew up in Norris Green, told the ECHO: "Grant had come to Anfield for one-to-one therapy, he was so happy with it.
"I was talking to him on Zoom on Thursday.
"But he went to bed on Friday, and his heart stopped on Saturday.
"He'd dealt with everything in his mind, but in the end, his body gave up.
"On Sunday, the day after he died, I was in bits, I couldn't talk to anyone.
"Grant was a lovely man.
"All of a sudden, Natasha, six, hasn't got a daddy anymore.
"Its heartbreaking.
"Grant was a great dad and had a fantastic relationship with his children who he saw regularly."
Mr Scarfe has run the Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance for the past two years, which operates as a non-profit organisation.
The Liverpudlian added: "People don't realise how deeply Hillsborough affected people's lives.
"You only understand if you've lived through it.
"It's impossible to imagine, going to a football match but then living through a warzone."
Mr Lockett, was described as "chatty and intelligent, with a good sense of humour, who loved Liverpool and visiting the city."
He was due to come to Anfield for Liverpool's game against Aston Villa, but the game was postponed due to the Covid-19 lockdown.
Mr Lockett was a regular at twice-weekly online HSA meetings to help with his anxiety.
He was enthusiastically planning for the future, spending time with his daughters, and visiting Liverpool for Mr Scarfe's daughter's 30th birthday.
He added: "The HSA has helped more than 50 people into therapy since we started, it's a much needed organisation.
"Grant was one of the boys, a lovely guy, and I could find you 60 people who would say exactly the same.
"He will be very sadly missed."
The online fund to help his family has reached almost £5,500 in 24 hours.
One woman said: "Grant was a lovely man, who I’m sure will be missed by many people."
Another woman wrote: "His beautiful girls have lost a lovely kind daddy and will be missed by many."
A work colleague added: "The best manager, and a genuinely lovely man."
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