Six-year-old Bradley Lowery – whose brave fight against cancer won him a place in the nation’s hearts – passes away peacefully in the arms of his ‘devastated’ parents

Six-year-old football fan Bradley Lowery – whose bravery captured hearts across Britain – has died today in his parents’ arms after a long battle with cancer. The avid Sunderland supporter, who had the rare childhood cancer neuroblastoma, gained widespread attention due to his courageous fight and close bond with England and ex-Black Cats striker Jermain Defoe, who called Bradley his ‘best mate’. His mother Gemma posted a message on Facebook that her son had died at 1.35pm.She said: ‘My brave boy has went with the angels today, in mammy and daddies arms surrounded by his family. He was our little superhero and put the biggest fight up but he was needed else where. There are no words to describe how heart broken we are’. Last night Mrs Lowery revealed that her son was ‘no longer responsive’ but was ‘listening to everything we say’.