Six-year-old Sunderland fan ,Bradley Lowery, whose plight touched the lives of many people, has died after a long illness named neuroblastoma - a rare type of cancer - diagonised when he was 18 months old.

Bradley went on to be the club’s mascot and became “best mates” with his hero, striker Jermain Defoe. He also led England out at Wembley for a World Cup qualifier against Lithuania.

Bradley underwent treatment and was in remission, but relapsed last year.Well-wishers raised more than £700,000 in 2016 to pay for him to be given antibody treatment in New York, but medics then found his cancer had grown and his family was informed his illness was terminal. In December, Bradley’s parents Gemma and Carl, from Blackhall Colliery in County Durham, were told he only had “months to live”. Four months later they were told the latest and final round of his treatment had failed. He underwent “tumour-shrinking treatment” at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary but the cancer continued to spread. On 24 May, Mrs Lowery said Bradley had left hospital to start palliative care at home, adding more tumours had been found and further radiotherapy was planned.

In a statement on the family’s Facebook page on Friday, Bradley’s mother Gemma Lowery said: “My brave boy has went with the angels today 07/07/17 at 13:35, in mammy and daddies arms surrounded by his family. He was our little superhero and put the biggest fight up but he was needed else where. There are no words to describe how heart broken we are. Thank you everyone for all your support and kind words. Sleep tight baby boy and fly high with them angels.”

Rest In Peace Lowery