In the last 24-hours of his life an inspirational Prestonian received special recognition from the city.

A special honour of Friend of the City was bestowed upon Ben Ashworth.

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He passed away aged 38 on Sunday (2 July) at his family home in Broadgate – surrounded by friends and family.

Ben was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2012 and ran dozens of marathons during his five-year cancer battle, raising thousands of pounds for cancer charities.

Ben received the certificate and his reaction was ‘Wow, just wow’.

In a letter accompany the certificate from the Mayor of Preston councillor Brian Rollo it states: “You are an inspiration to the people of Preston and you epitomise the very best of our city. On a personal level, I am very proud you are a Prestonian.”

Read more: ‘A man of positivity’ – tributes pour in for Ben Ashworth

Mayor Rollo also said: “Seeing the amount of money raised for Ben’s chosen charities is phenomenal and a credit to Ben, his family, and all their efforts.

“This recognition is so very well deserved and I couldn’t think of anyone else who would be top of the list. Ben will be sadly missed by all who knew him.”

A campaign has been launched following Ben’s death calling on the city council to name a section of the Guild Wheel route after Ben – a route he often ran and trained on.