A GRIEVING family from Bewdley are trying to raise £1,000 to bring their dad's ashes home from Spain.

Retired local firefighter Ralph Maritza passed away at his home in Spain on October 3 after the coronavirus pandemic put his cancer treatment on hold.

The 64-year-old lived in Bewdley for 25 years and served as a firefighter in Smethwick, Wednesbury and Ward End before he retired and fulfilled a lifelong dream of moving abroad to Spain.

After falling ill, Ralph was diagnosed with colon cancer at the end of last year and began chemotherapy, but his treatment was stopped in January due to the Covid outbreak.

His son Kris said: "Three weeks ago, we got a couple of missed calls from a Spanish number, which was something I'd been dreading.

"I eventually got through to one of his friends, who told us Dad was really ill and we needed to get out there as soon as possible to see him.

"Me and my sister booked a flight for the following Friday and landed Friday night. Sadly he passed away on the Saturday night. We got there just in time."

Unable to pay the full funeral director's costs up front, Kris and his sister Rebecca were forced to return to the UK without their father's ashes.

Kris said: "Fortunately, I was able to be with him along with my sister for his final days, but due to financial difficulty and travel issues surrounding Covid, we were not able to collect his ashes from the crematorium.

"It has been agreed his ashes will be safely stored until we can return and put him to rest properly."

The family has set up a Go Fund Me page to raise £1,000 to pay for flights, accommodation and travel for the return trip.

Kris said: "We set the target at £1,000 and within 36 hours we're basically at 50 per cent. It's had a really positive response.

"It's an emotional time for all of us but the fundraising has been the most emotional part in a way.

"A gentleman who dad served in the fire service with sent us a message and a lot of people have come out of the woodwork and have been sharing their memories of my dad."

To make a donation, visit gofundme.com/f/in-memory-of-ff-ralph-william-maritza.