Peacehaven schoolboy Anthony Pilcher has lost his battle against cancer. He died peacefully at home with his mother Gill at his bedside.

Lewes Grammar School pupil Anthony, of Headland Close fought for almost three years against bone cancer but in April doctors found tumours in his lungs.

Mrs Pilcher said: "For a boy of 15 he was just amazing.

"He accepted everything, he never got angry or bitter or felt sorry for himself. He just dealt with it. He was so brave throughout."

Even at the very end, Anthony's strength shone through.

Mrs Pilcher said: "It was in the early hours of the morning. He was lying in bed and I was with him.

"He wasn't frightened or upset. He even managed to say goodbye. "He said, 'I can't do this any more'.

"I think it was such an effort for him to breathe and he was so tired.

I said, 'Close your eyes and go to sleep'. He said 'Bye', took two more breaths and that was it."

In July, Anthony's doctors advised him to come off the drugs that were fighting the cancer so he could enjoy the last few months of his life.

Thanks to the Children with Cancer Fund, Anthony, his mother and his sister Katie, 18, were able to have a week in France.

Mrs Pilcher said: "We had never been on holiday abroad before so Anthony was very excited. We went to Futuroscope, which is a huge cinema complex.

"Instead of rides they have screens so Anthony was able to enjoy everything from his wheelchair.

"Then two weeks ago we went to the Indoor Arena at Birmingham for a show of Warhammer models that Anthony loved to make and paint. We had been before and he really wanted to go again."

The weekend trip was the last time Anthony left the house. He died on October 8 and his funeral was held on Tuesday.

More than 200 people, including Anthony's classmates from Lewes Grammar School, attended the service at Downs Crematorium in Brighton.

The Argus reported last December how, when Anthony learnt he was going to lose his hair through chemotherapy, he decided to shave it off.

He raised £3,000 for the Cancer Research Campaign.

One of Anthony's school friends, Lewis Richardson, is continuing his fund-raising efforts. Mrs Pilcher said: "Anthony wanted to raise more money.

"He had all these ideas like abseiling down a building in a wheelchair. He was just an amazing boy."