IT was a special evening held in memory of a very special man.

More than 300 guests gathered at the Botleigh Grange Hotel in Hedge End for the fifth and final ball organised by the widow of Hampshire haulage boss Dave Wellman.

Mr Wellman was only 48 when he died from cancer in 1999 - just three weeks before the wedding of his daughter Lexie.

His widow Tina staged a summer ball in a one-off attempt to raise money for charity. However, the event was so successful it became a regular fixture.

The final ball was held on Saturday night and raised £27,250 for the Dave Wellman Cancer Trust, taking the grand total to £128,000.

The 372 guests were treated to a feast of entertainment from the worlds of football and showbiz, including the charity's two patrons, former Saints star Francis Benali and Brookside actor Stephen Pinder.

Other guests included Colin Roy, who played music legend Nat King Cole in the West End.

Tina said: "One of the best bits of Saturday evening was when my sister Tracey and I totted up all the money and realised it was a bumper amount - but the highlight was undoubtedly the way the whole thing came together.

"It was just amazing - and everyone had a fantastic time."

Dave Wellman, who had his own haulage business in Southampton, was never far from Tina's thoughts as she greeted the guests.

"Dave was quite quiet but he was a kind, lovely man who was only 48 when he died," she said.

The trust will continue to raise funds for the Dave Wellman lab at the Cancer Sciences Building at Southampton General Hospital but Tina, who has remarried, has decided not to stage any major events for the foreseeable future.

"I was very emotional on Saturday night and could hardly speak - I think it had all caught up with me," she said.

"I'm sad it's all come to an end but I've decided to take a little time out for myself."