A popular taxi driver has died at the age of 27 after suffering a brain haemorrhage.

Mohammed Irfan Mahmood, an avid sports fan, was taken ill at home before he was taken to Fairfield Hospital, where he later died.

Now friends and family are to hold a football tournament in his memory at Openshaw Park from 11.30am on June 24, which is open to everyone.

Mohammed’s brother, Ikram Khan, aged 21, said: “We would like to thank everyone for the huge outpouring of love we have had.

“The support we have received shows how many people’s lives he touched and how much of a space he has left in our lives.”

Mohammed — known to friends as Irfy — was born in Bury and studied at St Thomas’s Primary School in Pimhole before going on to Broad Oak High School.

The ambitious youngster then studied engineering at Bury College for a year before moving onto Accrington and Rossendale College.

Aged 20, Mohammed became a taxi driver with Elton Bullitt Cars.

Ikram said: “He was very popular with his customers, always sharing a laugh and a joke. They liked him so much, they would specifically request him as a driver. He was always so generous.

“If he ever saw his friends out in the town centre, he would take them home at no charge and if he saw someone struggling on the street, he would always volunteer to help out.”

A big Manchester United supporter, Mohammed loved to play five-a-side football with friends, go to the gym, weightlift and watch Indian Premier League cricket matches on TV.

Mohammed’s funeral took place on May 1, following his death on April 27.