A river display will pay tribute to a dad-of-two who never gave up hope during a long battle with cancer.

Mark Towens, who was a harbour master for the Port of London Authority and praised by Prince William, passed away on New Year's Day, aged 40.

His funeral will take place on Thursday and will be followed by a tug boat tribute with water cannons on the river at Gravesend, near Town Pier.

Mark, from Gravesend, led a campaign to reduce drownings on the Thames and was supported by the Duke of Cambridge, who he met in 2019.

At the time, most of Mark's colleagues and friends had no idea about his battles with skin cancer.

He was first diagnosed in 2005, aged 23, six months before he was due to marry his wife Claire.

He was given the all-clear following an operation but the cancer returned 12 years later and began to spread.

Mark – dad to Jamie, 13, and Katie, 10 – endured years of treatment but his sister Jo said he never gave up hope he would get better.

In 2020, Mark was due to take part in a clinical trial but after discovering the cancer had spread to his brain he was no longer eligible for NHS treatment.

His family launched a £100,000 fundraising campaign to pay for treatment abroad which raised £60,000 in just a few days.

After battling lockdowns, Covid travel restrictions and quarantine issues, Mark was finally able to fly to Israel for treatment in April 2021.

The only way he could get there was on a repatriation flight which was taking Israelis trapped in Europe back home.

At Tel Aviv airport he had to persuade the Israeli military and police to allow him to be transferred to the hospital rather than go into quarantine.

Sister Jo said Mark's fighting spirit was an inspiration to others: "His story was followed by many people. He was an inspiration.

"He was a real warrior, he really fought it every step of the way. He never gave up hope that there was a chance of getting better."

She added: "Mark was smart, fun, adventurous, competitive, he had a great sense of humour and a zest for life that was infectious.

"His family was so important to him, nothing was more important to him than the time he spent with his family."

Mark was also very proud of his job. He was appointed harbour master in 2014.

Jo, 42, said: "He said he felt incredibly privileged and lucky to have such a role. He was most proud of the work he did to produce the drowning prevention strategy – he said it was his legacy."

Although the treatment in Israel wasn't the cure he had hoped for, it gave Mark more time to spend with his family. And Jo said he made the most of the time he had.

He went on holiday with his family, Jo and her family, and their parents last summer to the New Forest, visiting Portsmouth and the historic dockyard.

He also enjoyed fishing trips, going kayaking, zip lining at Bluewater and was able to celebrate his 40th birthday with dinner at The Shard, overlooking the River Thames.

Jo added: "He loved going on adventures and he made the best use of that time."

Before Christmas, Mark had been feeling unwell so went to the Royal Marsden Hospital in London on December 20. He was told his cancer had progressed and he didn't have long left. Mark died at home on New Year's Day.

Jo said: "Mark had wanted one last Christmas with his children. He had been Christmas shopping and that weekend made a Christmas cake with his son Jamie.

"When he came home, Mark was in bed and never made it back downstairs so he didn't get the Christmas he had hoped for. But he did get to sit with Claire and the children on Christmas Day and watch them open the presents he had brought them.

"Mark said everything he had done since that diagnosis in 2020 gave him that extra 18 months with his family."

The river display will be on the water by Town Pier, Gravesend, on Thursday at 1pm.