A pub will be remembering a special little boy who lost his battle with cancer at the age of seven.

Zak Hobbs died in September after being diagnosed with neuroblastoma, an aggressive form of cancer which affects about 100 children each year.

In tribute to Zak, The Dockle Farmhouse pub, in Bridge End Road,will officially open a newly refurbished and resurfaced play park on May 19, along with a plaque to remember Zak.

A charity fun day will also be held with a bouncy castle, balloon release, face painting, cake sale, assault course and raffle.

Zak and his parents Sam and Chris, and his grandparents were regular visitors to the pub before Zak died and the family will officially open the park next weekend.

Zak’s brother Ben, 12, will unveil the plaque remembering his little brother.

The pub, managed by Nicole Calver and Paul Pearson, has already raised £1,000 through charity events over the past six months.

A donation has also been made to Helen And Douglas House in Oxford, the hospice which helped support the family during Zak’s treatment.

Clare Strange, the shift manager at The Dockle Farmhouse, said: “We wanted to remember Zak in a special way with the play park and the fun day will become an annual event to celebrate his life.”

After responding well to the first bout of chemotherapy, Zak relapsed in January last year and became paralysed from the waist down.

As more treatment followed, the family stayed with him at the Oxford hospice for three weeks before returning to their home in Haydon Wick, where Zak later died.

Sam, 43, said: “When you are told your child has cancer it is the worst news you can get.

“We hadn’t heard of neuroblastoma or Helen And Douglas House before Zak was diagnosed but after he relapsed we ended up staying in the family accommodation for three weeks as a family, with Ben coming at weekends.

“When Zak relapsed that was the lowest point for us because of the pain he was in.

“They helped us come to terms with it. We walked in and they just took over – it was like a weight lifted off.”

The park will officially be opened on May 19 at 10am.

For more information on Helen And Douglas House, visit www.helenand douglas.org.uk.