Tributes have been paid to a doting dad with a “heart of gold” who died from cancer shortly after having life-prolonging surgery axed.

Dad-of-four George Flight passed away at the ellenor Hospice, in Northfleet, on June 13 after living with the disease for 14 months.

He was originally diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2019 which had been discovered during keyhole surgery for appendicitis a year earlier.

The 66-year-old underwent surgery to have the tumour removed and started having regular check-ups to manage it.

In 2022, the dad was told that his cancer had returned and was now terminal as it had spread to his liver, colon and lymph nodes.

George, of Cornfield Drive, Northfleet, was given 16 months to two years to live.

The former car salesman began a course of chemotherapy at Darent Valley Hospital, in Dartford, which shrunk the tumour on his liver.

To give him more time with his family, his doctors booked him in for surgery to have the tumour removed at the start of 2023 at King’s College Hospital, in London.

But George’s partner of 34 years Julie Noden and youngest daughter Emily Flight said he did not receive any further treatment for three months before the operation.

It was then cancelled only days before the appointment because the cancer had become “too aggressive”.

Julie, 58, said: “There was a total lack of communication on the hospital’s behalf. He was totally neglected and forgotten during those last months. I think it was why we lost him so soon.”

The family has officially complained to the hospital and been told an investigation is under way.

A spokesman for the Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust said: “We always look into the care received by any individual where a concern is raised.

“We are looking into the family’s concerns at present and will continue to liaise with the patient’s family whilst we investigate further.”

In May, George was admitted to the Dartford hospital with a chest infection and died on June 13, hours after he was transferred to the ellenor Hospice, in Coldharbour Road.

Daughter Emily, 23, has since paid tribute to her “amazing” father. She said: “He has left a huge hole in our lives.

“He had a very dry humour. He loved practical jokes and pranking his friends. He had friends everywhere, he spoke to everybody.

“He loved gardening. He was very, very skilled at building things. He was such a perfectionist.”

George leaves his children Alice, Joe, and Emily Flight, and step-son Tom Noden.

Partner Julie, 58, added: “He had a heart of gold. He would do anything for anyone. He would get up in the dead of night to pick his children up from the nightclubs.

“He had always been into classic cars. He was always going to car shows, and he loved everything American. The tackier the better.

“I will miss all of him. He was such a lovely man. He will be missed by many people.

“He was definitely a family man. He was a workaholic but everything was for the children. He worked for them.”

The family set up a fundraiser to help cover funeral costs which has already raised more than £3,500 at the time of writing. You can donate here.

Julie said: “We did not talk about it, he hated the fact he was going to die. He hated fuss so he would hate the idea of us throwing him a funeral but he deserved a good send-off.”

Emily added: “The GoFundMe page has been a lifesaver. There are no words to thank everyone enough for donating.

“Without it we would not have been able to give him the send-off he deserves. We would not have been able to give him anything.”