VETERAN champion wrestler Jack Taylor, who died from cancer aged 83, was a fighter until the end, say his proud family.

The great grandfather, of Cullingworth, who courageously dealt with his illness before passing away at home on October 7, was a member of Bradford's celebrated Taylor wrestling family.

He won the British Lightweight title in 1956 and was picked at the age of 24 for the team to represent Britain in the 1956 Olympic Games held in Melbourne, Australia, while his father Tom was British Featherweight Champion in 1938 and his uncle Joe Taylor, who competed in the 1932 Los Angeles games, and cousin Eric Taylor were also British Champions. His brother Barry was also a Yorkshire Champion.

Although Mr Taylor, whose dad was one of his coaches, returned from the games without a gold medal he still kept his super-star status, said daughter Janet Nykolajczuk, of Wilsden.

"He was a modest, model sportsman who never bragged about his achievement and super-start status of that time but we did the bragging for him," shed said.

"He was such a funny, cheeky, decent chap. Everyone who met him adored and respected him. To us he was the perfect dad. He bore his illness with great courage and was a fighter to the end."

When news broke he had been selected for the GB Olympic team he had been working on top of City Hall's clock tower and to help support his wife Margaret, who was his biggest fan, and their baby daughter Janet while he was away for the six weeks, the then Lord Mayor of Bradford, Alderman Horace Walker, set up a fund.

One of his Great Britain team mates had been heavyweight Ken Richmond, better known as the man who banged the gong in the J Arthur Rank films. That year it was the Soviet Union which dominated the wrestling, winning 13 medals and six golds, followed by Turkey.

Mr Taylor was born in West Bowling and went on to live most of his life in Thornton where he worked as a master builder before moving to Cullingworth in 2007. He had also spent two years as a physical training instructor in the Army.

One of his favourite ways to keep fit was to climb up any available scaffolding using only his hands and in one of them swinging a heavy hammer to build up his muscles.

He first tried his hand at boxing in the Sea Cadets before he started his wrestling career at the Windmill Club in Wibsey, winning many Yorkshire titles. In later years, he was the wrestling coach at the Leeds Athletic Institute where he trained a number of talented wrestlers. He continued in the building trade long after retirement age and leaves his three daughters, seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. His wife died in 2013.

His funeral takes place on Monday at 2pm at Longfield House Private Chapel of Rest in Lidget Green, followed by cremation at Scholemoor Crematorium. Donations in his memory will go to Manorlands and Marie Curie Hospices as well as The Annette Fox Haematology Unit of the BRI.