A family in mourning have told of their shock after thieves stole cash during the wake of a much-loved father, aged just 26.

The relatives of Luke Leggatt barely had time to mourn when £100 donated to buy keepsakes for his beloved daughter were stolen as the family came together to remember his life.

Now his mum Patricia Mitchell has spoken of her shock, as she tries to remember the "baby" she has lost.

She said the devoted father took his little girl on a ‘daddy daughter date’ just three days before dying in mysterious circumstances.

Luke enjoyed a last outing with four-year-old Scarlett, who has been left devastated by the tragic death of the popular gas engineer.

His heartbroken mum this week told how Scarlett meant the world to Luke, who was expecting his second child.

“He used to take his daughter on ‘daddy daughter dates’,” she said. “The last one was on the Sunday before he died.

“On Valentine’s Day last year I asked him who he was taking out and he said he had a hot date.

“He ordered roses, bought Scarlett a beautiful grey dress and took her into town.

“He was someone who would always make you feel special.”

Luke, who lived with his mum in Devon Road, Canterbury, was discovered lying in a driveway in the city’s St Lawrence Close at just after 7am on December 14.

He had been taken to Kent and Canterbury Hospital the previous day by his brother following a seizure and it is understood he was on his way home when he died.

But Patricia says no one knows what happened in the nine hours from when he was last seen on CCTV to when he was found.

“I just want to know what happened,” she said. “I know he was on his way back to me.

“My other son took him to hospital as he had a seizure. There is CCTV of him leaving the hospital. He was disorientated.

“We were expecting him to come home but he didn’t. I had a thought that something was going to happen to him.

“When I saw the police outside my house, I knew. I said ‘don’t tell me it’s Luke’.”

Patricia says the whole family has been left devastated by the death of Luke, who had three brothers and two sisters.

“He was my baby,” she said. “He wasn’t my youngest, but he was my baby.

“I hold his picture every night. I listen to our music. He was just beautiful.

“He loved to play practical jokes and he loved to sing.

“Luke’s father died when he was four. I’d rather have lost their dad 10 times than lose one of my children. I can’t explain how much it hurts.

“I just miss him so much.”

But heartbroken Patricia’s grief was compounded when £100 donated to buy keepsakes for Luke’s daughter and unborn baby was stolen – during his wake.

The cruel thief crept upstairs to steal money from Patricia’s bedroom after she invited mourners back to her home to celebrate her son’s life.

“Not only have I been robbed of my son, I’ve been robbed of money that was going to his children,” she said.

“I’d just buried my son, I allowed someone into my home and they did this.”

Luke’s funeral saw more than 500 mourners turn out to pay their respects at Canterbury Cemetery.

“It was enormous,” Patricia said. “It was overwhelming. We went back to the golf club and I didn’t want the day to end, I didn’t want to wake up the next day and it all be over, so I invited people back to my house. I said everyone was welcome.”

But the thief took advantage, swiping money that had been donated.

“My sister and daughter-in-law had wanted to raise some money for the children, for keepsakes,” she said.

“I’ve got Luke’s fingerprints and I was going to have them put on a necklace for them.

“There was a donation box at the golf club after the funeral with a beautiful collage of Luke and whatever was collected that day was brought home and my daughter-in-law took it upstairs into my bedroom.

“My aunt had given £100. I was in my bedroom talking about putting the money in the wardrobe and someone must have heard me,” she said.

“I don’t care if a million pounds suddenly comes through the door. I allowed someone into my house and they did this after I’d just buried my son.”

A family friend has set up a crowdfunding page which has already raised £830 to replace the stolen money. To donate visit the JustGiving page.

An inquest into Luke’s death was opened on Monday and adjourned to a later date.