The grieving parents of an 11-month-old boy who died after being born with brain damage are honouring his life with a flourish of colour.

Ros Smith and Martin Blake, of Enstone, near Chipping Norton, have asked mourners at their son Jake's funeral to discard their black clothes and swap them for colourful outfits.

Miss Smith's sister Alison Herbert said: "Jake was such a young baby we thought that black just wasn't appropriate. And he just loved colours."

Jake, who died just before Christmas was born on January 16 last year, and spent the first four months of his life at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford.

His family have praised the support they received from paediatric nurse Judith Ward, and the Oxfordshire-based charity Rosy, Respite Nursing for Sick Youngsters, which offered support and care for them during Jake's life.

Mrs Herbert said: "He was in and out of hospital all the time and we all got a lot of support from Rosy.

"Jake was a very special boy and we all miss him."

Jake's funeral takes place at Enstone Church on Monday, January 5, at 2pm.