When freelance writer Jeremy Gambrill died, it was feared his biography of a famous Sussex football referee would never be finished.

A popular campaigner in the Cuckfield community, Jeremy was about a third of the way through the book when he died last year aged 54 after a brave battle against cancer.

The book, titled Knight Of The Whistle, tells the story of Ralph Tarratt, now 92, from Horsham, who was the first Sussex referee to reach inter-national level more than 50 years ago.

Friends and family were determined Mr Gambrill's hard work would not be wasted and former Argus journalist Phil Dennett, of Junction Road, Burgess Hill, stepped in to finish it off.

Mr Dennett, 53, presented the completed, 199-page book to Jeremy's sister, Jane, this week.

Ms Gambrill said: "Jeremy would have been thrilled to see the finished book. He put a lot of work into the initial research but in the end he was just unable to complete it.

"I am also delighted for Ralph that his fascinating life story has been recorded."

Ralph decided to get the book written for St Catherine's Hospice in Crawley after losing two wives to cancer.

By a tragic coincidence, Mr Dennett lost his sister, Dorothy, to cancer at about the same time that Jeremy died and had also lost his father Arthur to the disease.

The book is dedicated to them all and all the money raised will be donated to the hospice.

Mr Dennett said: "My initial reservations about taking over the book disappeared when I first met Ralph. He was brimming with enthusiasm for the book and so keen to raise money for St Catherine's that I could hardly say no.

"I also felt I owed a debt to Jeremy to get it finished. It has been hard work but worth every second.

"My sister's death was also a factor in taking over the book. She was more than ten years older than me and always encouraged my interest in English when I was a child, buying me books from her nurse's salary.

"But Ralph's the real star of all this. He was a real pioneer of refereeing in Sussex and deserves to be remembered."

The book gets its title from a nickname given to Ralph by former Brighton and Hove Albion manager Billy Lane. It has a foreword written by soccer pundit Jimmy Hill and describes how Ralph was a great favourite with Albion fans at the Goldstone Ground in Hove.

Ralph also helped promote the then new craze of bar billiards across Sussex in the Thirties and Forties and his Tarratt tables can still be seen in pubs and clubs.

Ralph said: "Having Jimmy Hill present me with the book a couple of weeks ago was a great moment for me.

"It's a dream come true to see the book finished. I just hope lots of people buy it because every penny goes to St Catherine's Hospice."

Knight Of The Whistle, published by Whistleblower at £4.99, is available direct from the hospice in Crawley, hospice shops and from The Mint House in Hurstpierpoint and the Halycon Bookshop in Haywards Heath.

All proceeds go to the hospice because Ralph's family met the production costs of the book.