THE father of late snooker star Paul Hunter has said thank you to the hospice staff who cared for his son.

Alan Hunter was at Dalton's Kirkwood Hospice to thank the staff who nursed Paul in his final days.

He also handed over a cheque for more than £3,000, the start of a fundraising adventure.

Paul, who died last year after a battle with cancer, was 27 and regarded as one of the future world greats in snooker.

He practised regularly at Huddersfield's Syngenta Club.

He was in the hospice for the final week of his life and yesterday his father chatted with nursing and admin staff who helped him.

He said: "The staff were absolutely fantastic, not only to Paul but also to his wife Lindsey and the rest of the family.

"We have presented a cheque for £3,056, but we plan more fundraising in the coming months, both for the hospice and for Paul's own charity foundation that Lindsey and the family have set up."

The money was raised with an auction at Leeds Anglers' Club.

The auction included snooker memorabilia and signed soccer shirts from England stars Steven Gerrard and Peter Crouch.