Talented Fleetwood artist with terminal cancer will see his paintings go up for auction

Phil Walters, 67, of Cross Street, has been painting on canvasses large and small for years, working with brilliantly rich colours in oil and acrylic, and he dreamed of becoming known as an artist and staging exhibitions and selling prints of his work.

But the father-of-three, who has been the verger of St Peter’s Church in Fleetwood for 14 years, is now struggling with invasive cancer and his routines have had to change.

However, Phil’s younger sister, Caroline Cooke, is determined to promote his paintings so that these starling works of art won’t be lost and forgotten.

She has arranged for 15 of the pieces to go up as lots before auctioneers Warren and Wignall in Leyland, with a date set for Wednesday July 20.

Caroline, 60, who lives in Leyland, said: “Phil has got so many paintings in his house, things he has done over the years, there are hundreds of them.

"He has painted for years and always dreamed of selling them but it never really happened, apart from the odd one.

"I’ve been helping him recently to get rid of things in the house, to make his life more comfortable, but my worst nightmare would be that these paintings would end up in a skip and then be lost.

"It would be such a shame – it would be nice for him to have a legacy, for his works to at least go to good homes where people would value them. So I’ve put them forward for the auction.”

Phil has previously worked as an engineer, a scrap metal dealer and in advertising sales, but to many people in Fleetwood he has been known for his work in and around St Peter’s, whether it be moving the lawn or carrying the cross at the head of businesswoman Doreen Lofthouse’s funeral.

He said: “I had all sort of plans but I’ve always been known for procrastinating and nothing gets done!

"It’s lovely these ones are going for auction.”

Phil hopes money raised can support a worthwhile charity.