THE family of a loving grandad have paid tribute to him after he died due to coronavirus just 24 hours after he was admitted to hospital.

Allan Oldcorn had only just celebrated his 74th birthday two days before passing away.

Mr Oldcorn was "having a laugh and a joke" with nurses in the hospital just an hour before his condition swiftly deteriorated.

The pensioner from Flookburgh began to experience symptoms when he felt short of breath and was struggling with backache.

Allan’s daughter Wendy Cavin was called away from work to see him as he was shaking and was really struggling.

“The first responders were not coming and a friend of my dad’s, who is a first responder, did end up coming despite not being supposed to," said Wendy.

“He gave dad oxygen which meant he started to feel better. He even managed to walk to the ambulance.

“He was even having a laugh and a joke with the nurses in the hospital when he got there. But an hour later he really deteriorated.

“You know it is not good news when you are asked to go into a little room and that is where we were told that he had developed pneumonia and that his kidneys were failing.

“At 6pm the next day we were told that he had died, just 24 hours after being admitted.

“It was later confirmed that he had been infected with COVID-19.”

Allan was husband to Jen, father to Janet, Christine and Wendy, and also a grandfather.

“He was an amazing husband, dad, grandad and great grandad - the anchor of our family," said Wendy.

“He worked as a lorry driver for Bowater Scott and when working the nightshift he would leave three sweeties for his three girls on the mantelpiece. He was the go-to man when it came to Flookburgh charter fair day, when everybody needed toilets rolls to make their float flowers.

“He was a very proud man, funny, caring, lorry mad, bowling mad. He generally loved life and that has been cut short because of this terrible disease. We will never forget his laugh, smile and hugs.”