BBC presenter Colin Bloomfield dies of skin cancer aged 33

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BBC Radio Derby broadcaster died in hospice at 7.05am yesterday morning
Touched thousands of listeners with openness as he battled skin cancer
Heartbroken colleagues and stars have paid tribute to talented broadcaster
Name chanted at Derby County's match at Millwall and Shrewsbury Town players wore t-shirts with his name as they gained promotion yesterday

By Thomas Burrows and Emma Glanfield for MailOnline

Published: 13:38 EST, 25 April 2015 | Updated: 07:18 EST, 26 April 2015

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One Direction star Niall Horan has led the tributes to BBC broadcaster Colin Bloomfield who has died from skin cancer, aged just 33.

Bloomfield, who worked at BBC Radio Derby for 10 years as a presenter, reporter and Derby County commentator, died at a hospice near his hometown of Shrewsbury yesterday morning.

Fellow broadcasters have paid tribute to the 'perfect colleague' and ‘consummate professional’ whose positive outlook on life made him such a popular figure.

And Derby County supporter Niall Horan, who is one quarter of boyband One Direction, has also described Bloomfield as a ‘super great guy and great commentator’.

Hugely popular BBC Derby broadcaster Colin Bloomfield has died aged 33 after battling skin cancer

One Direction star and Derby County supporter Niall Horan (pictured together) was among the first to pay tribute to Bloomfield, who passed away yesterday at a hospice in Shrewsbury following a battle with cancer

The star, who has met Bloomfield several times, said on Twitter: 'Sad to hear to hear of the passing of Colin Bloomfield. He was a super great guy and great commentator.

'And had a huge passion for Derby county, he will be sadly missed around the ground, condolences to his family and friends.'

Bloomfield lost his battle with cancer after it spread around his body from a cancerous mole.

The malignant melanoma was removed from his leg 10 years ago but returned in 2013 and last year he was given only months to live.

Heartbroken colleagues paid tribute to the talented broadcaster following the news he had passed away at 7.05am yesterday.

Radio Derby's editor Simon Cornes said: 'Reporter, producer, commentator, presenter - Colin was all of those.

'You're lucky in radio if you're good at one of these things but Colin's talent was a rare one and he was extraordinarily accomplished at all of them. He made it seem easy. We know it isn't.

'If you were designing the perfect colleague you'd come up with Colin. His modesty was disarming but it was his warmth and his positive attitude to life that made him so popular with everyone at Radio Derby.

'We've lost our friend but it's a mark of the man that so many of our listeners feel they've lost their friend too. All of us are going to miss him dreadfully.'

Bloomfield (pictured with fellow broadcasters Ant and Dec) died early yesterday morning at the age of 33

Dozens left emotional tributes to Bloomfield on Twitter last night, including Niall Horan from One Direction, Burton Albion manager Jimmy Floyd and glamour model and former The Only Way is Essex star Maria Fowler

Derby County spokesman Colin Gibson, who had worked with Bloomfield at BBC Radio Derby, said: 'As a broadcaster he was the consummate professional.

'He could be - at one time - eulogising about what was happening at Neighbours and the next turn he'd being interviewing the prime minister and he would do them both brilliantly. He could really turn his hand to anything.

'His bravery during his fight with cancer had to be admired, preferring always to talk about the Rams or his beloved Shrewsbury Town rather than the pain he was going through.'

Derby County president Sam Rush said: 'He will be sadly missed by everyone at Derby County Football Club as we had a tremendous working relationship with him.

'He can only be described as an inspirational individual and both a wonderful and humble young man.'

At Derby's match away at Millwall yesterday that finished 3-3, Rams' supporters chanted his name, singing 'there's only one Colin Bloomfield'.

And as Shrewsbury Town won promotion to League One after beating Cheltenham Town 1-0, the Shrewsbury players revealed t-shirts paying tribute to Bloomfield.

Posting the tribute on its official Twitter page later, the club accompanied a picture of the players with: 'FOR THE FANS: Shrewsbury Town players don shirts with Colin Bloomfield and Lloyd Burton on!'

Lloyd Burton, a young supporter of the club, also lost his battle with cancer this week.

As Shrewsbury Town won promotion to League One after beating Cheltenham Town 1-0 yesterday, the Shrewsbury players revealed t-shirts paying tribute to Bloomfield and young supporter Lloyd Burton, who also passed away from cancer this week. The t-shirts read: 'For you Lloyd Burton and Chris Bloomfield' (pictured)

Also paying tribute was fellow broadcaster Jake Humphrey, who wrote on Twitter: 'Devastated Colin Bloomfield has lost his fight. Ten minutes on the phone to him and you were walking on air all day.'

Henry Winter, from the Daily Telegraph, added: 'RIP Colin Bloomfield. Hugely respected BBC football commentator and presenter. Only 33. Thoughts with his family, friends and colleagues.'

And broadcaster Mike Sewell said: 'Extremely sad to hear that broadcaster Colin Bloomfield has passed away. Life is precious and at times cruelly short. RIP.'

Jimmy Floyd, manager of League Two side Burton Albion, wrote: 'I might add deeply saddened by the untimely death of the very popular BBC presenter Colin Bloomfield.'

Maria Fowler, a glamour model and former The Only Way Is Essex star who grew up in Derby, also paid tribute to Bloomfield.

In a series of messages, she said: 'I've just heard the news and am so so sad. Rest in Peace Colin Bloomfield. A truly brave and amazing man. You were amazing. I'm so sad.

'I'm so so sad. You were so brave Colin and now with the Angels. You will be so missed by everyone in Derby.'

And Bloomfield's former colleague Jonno Baker wrote: 'Rest In Peace to my friend and the bravest man I've ever known. You were an incredible person.'

Bloomfield (pictured) had set up a charity appeal prompted by his diagnosis which has so far raised £60,000

These were the last tweets written by Colin Bloomfield, who passed away at a hospice near Shrewsbury today

Bloomfield's most recent battle with melanoma started in September 2013, but he was no stranger to the disease having first encountered it in 2001.

A cancerous mole was operated on and turned out to be a malignant melanoma. Five years later, in 2006, he was given the all-clear.

But in May 2013, he discovered a lump on his groin. Since then he had been undergoing various treatments and initially that helped shrink some of the tumours in his brains and lungs.

However, further scans in the last few weeks revealed the tumours in his brain were increasing in size and earlier this month, he went to a hospice near his home town of Shrewsbury.

After a courageous fight, he lost his final battle at 7.05am yesterday morning.

A charity appeal prompted by his diagnosis has so far raised £60,000 in just over two months.

The money will be used to make hundreds of schools in Derbyshire and East Staffordshire 'sun safe', by educating youngsters about skin cancer prevention.