BRAVE cancer sufferer Steve Lally had the surprise of his life at a special fund-raising night at his local pub.

For his two brothers, Phil and Kevin, had both jetted thousands of miles to be at the do with with Steve, his family and friends.

At the last minute, Kevin travelled more than 6,000 miles from Singapore, while Phil flew in from Saudi Arabia as surprise guests for the event at the Stag's Head pub on St Helens Road, Bolton.

And as Steve relived the moments he spotted his brothers in the pub, he admitted: "It was just like something out of This is Your Life. I couldn't believe they were there."

More than £1,000 was raised by workmates, family and friends of the 44-year-old man who was cruelly struck down with throat cancer in September.

The money will help Steve pay for drug prescriptions and travel expenses to and from Christie's Hospital in Manchester.

Doctors told him that if he did not undergo treatment he would be dead within six months. Now Steve is facing 20 sessions of intensive radiotherapy to try to shrink the tumour so it can be operated on.

At the moment surgery cannot take place because the growth is too close to arteries in Steve's neck.

But the father-of-three, who lives with his wife on Hulton Lane, is facing is the battle with remarkable courage.

He said: "I just want to thank everyone who came to the do. It was absolutely unbelievable to walk in there and see Phil and Kevin.

"Whatever happened or whatever discomfort I'm going through, it is nothing in comparison to what it must be like for a child to suffer this."

And he paid particular tribute to his wife, Sue, and their children, adding: "We would all rather not be here having to discuss this, but it's reality.

"The pressure that Sue has been under has been enormous, but she and my children are all incredible."

It was in September, as he jetted off to Malta with other members of a historic battle re-enactment society, the Napoleonic Association, that Steve spotted a tiny lump on his throat.

Medics diagnosed throat cancer and he is now undergoing specialist treatment at Christie's.

At Saturday night's fund-raiser, Manchester United star Ryan Giggs sent the brave Bolton man his best wishes, signing a Reds shirt which was auctioned off for £500, as well as sending Steve a Get Well card.

Inside, the soccer ace had written: "To Steve. Hope everything goes well with the treatment. All the best, Ryan Giggs."

Yesterday Kevin, 35, who has lived in Singapore for four years, talked of the reunion with his poorly brother.

He said: "We keep in touch regularly by e-mail. I was gutted when I found out about what had happened to Steve.

"I would have preferred not to have had to make this journey and for Steve to be well, but even if Phil and I lived in Australia we would have walked here to be with Steve."

Pub manager Jeff Swanton and customers Barbara Melia and Joan Bradshaw helped to organise the fund-raising event, with extra help from Steve's work colleagues at Park Cake Bakeries.

Jeff, 54, added: "I don't look on Steve as one of my customers, he is one of my good friends. He is one of the nicest blokes you could meet and the way the pub was packed out proves that. We just want to thank everyone and all the local businesses that helped us out for the night."