A FAMILY grieving the loss of a loved one has launched a fundraising campaign to cover the cost of his funeral.

Robert Passmore, known to friends as Bob, passed away at the age of just 61, leaving relatives devastated.

The father of five was found at his Highworth home on January 31 by best friend Phil Jackson.

One of Bob’s daughters, Emma Passmore, 31, said: “Dad recently acquired a touch screen phone and wasn’t very good at using it. So he asked his friend Phil for tips.

“Phil tried to call him with the intention of showing him how to use it, but got no reply.

“That wasn’t unusual, though. Dad was sometimes happy to shut the world out for a couple of days and sit watching old films – but we certainly didn’t expect this.

“At the moment we’re in a state of shock. I am completely devastated, I don’t want to let him go.

I’m not mentally prepared to be saying goodbye to my parents, especially as he was so young.”

Bob’s family were informed of the death within an hour of his body being discovered.

But to further compound their grief, they discovered that he had no life insurance and they are now facing funeral costs that could be in the region of £3,000.

Emma said: “When we realised how much money we would need, we thought ‘where are we going to get that kind of money from?’

“We want to give him as good a send-off as we possibly can and any help we can get would be hugely appreciated.”

The family has set a target of £3,000, but, as Emma stressed, they would be grateful for any donation.

“Even if we only get £500, anything will help,” she said.

Bob’s funeral will take place at Kingsdown Crematorium on March 9 and all are welcome to attend.

To donate to the cause, log on to www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/bobpassmore