A father and the much-loved founder of A2B taxis of Cirencester has died at 52 years old after contracting Covid-19 while being treated for cancer.

Paul Simpson, who fell ill with lymphoma in 2019, survived continuous chemotherapy for 18 months before catching the virus during his last treatment regime at Cheltenham General Hospital.

He was moved to Gloucestershire Royal, where he sadly passed away on January 29, 2021.

“We as a family are all devastated as we’ve lost a lovely man too soon. He’s left a massive hole in our lives,” said his daughter Hannah Simpson.

“We are extremely grateful to the Linc Centre in Cheltenham for everything they did for him whilst he was poorly, this is where he asked any donations to go to.”

Paul’s family and friends have raised more than £2,000 for the Leukaemia and Intensive Chemotherapy Fund (Linc), and ask any donations in his memory to be directed there.

As well as fathering Hannah and her elder brother Sam, Paul became a grandfather to Hannah’s children, Rudy and Ezra, in his last three years.

Paul was well-known in the community for his work at A2B Taxis, which he ran with his wife Allie from 2000 to 2010 before setting up an airport taxi service.

He had a passion for Motorcross and created a club with his friends which he jokingly named the Cirencester Old, Fat and Over the Hill Scrambling Club.

As per his last wishes, the taxi driver will be taking one last journey past his primary school and around Old Chesterton, where he grew up with his siblings Lisa and Miranda and their mother Jeannie Puffitt.

Packer and Slade’s hearse will be leaving Watermoor, City Bank Road, at 11.30am on Friday, February 26.

Paul will be taken to Chesterton Estate via Bathurst Road, turning left onto Apsley Road then right onto Oakley Road.

Anyone wishing to pay their respects should stand socially-distanced along Springfield Road before the hearse turns into Bowley Road.