A mother has been forced to do a sponsored walk to pay for her son’s funeral.

Michael Linley, who succumbed to bowel cancer two weeks ago, is still in the mortuary because his mother cannot afford funeral costs.

Lynne Harris, who is currently claiming Job Seekers Allowance, said she has been told she is not entitled to any state support towards the cost.

The family have already taken out a £700 loan as deposit for the £1,935 funeral to allow his body to be released.

They have now resorted to doing a sponsored walk to try to raise the money.

Miss Harris said all she wants is to be able to “lay him to rest”.

Former Tesco worker Michael, 21, was diagnosed with the disease two years ago but died after it spread to his liver leaving behind his pregnant girlfriend Samantha Duplock.

She is due to give birth to their baby in just three weeks.

Miss Harris said the death of Michael has badly affected his seven-year-old sister Sapphire who wants to say goodbye to her brother.

Fighting back tears she said: “It is so unfair. He was my son for 21 years. I can’t get any help.

“It has been really hard. It has affected my daughter. They were really close."

Family and friends walked ten miles yesterday (November 13) from Hove Lagoon to Brighton Marina to try to raise money for the send-off.

Miss Harris, of Ingram Crescent East, Hove, said she had not started to save for her son’s funeral because she believed he would live for at least another two years.

She said: “He couldn’t get life insurance obviously because of the cancer.

“It didn’t even come into our heads that we should put money away. We thought he had a few more years in him."

Can you help? Email rebecca.evans@theargus.co.uk or call 01273 544 544.

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