The young father-of-two, who died after a fight outside a nightclub, was a “one-of-a-kind” friend

Joshua Hughes, a 22-year-old father of two young children, was taken to the Royal Preston Hospital after the incident but later died from his injuries

A young father who died after a fight outside a nightclub was a “one-of-a-kind” friend who would do “anything” for his family.

Josh Hughes had been part of a group who stayed at the Glow nightclub in Dalton Square in Lancaster in the early hours of Sunday June 12 before they were kicked out, police said.

Officers were called to Glow at 4.30am this morning after reports of an altercation in which the 22-year-old fell and hit his head on the ground.

The young father was taken to the Royal Preston Hospital where he had two emergency brain surgeries.

He fought for his life in a coma until he passed away on Thursday morning.

A 31-year-old man from Leigh has been arrested on suspicion of a Section 18 assault and has been released on bail pending further investigation while police continue to investigate the incident.

In a statement, police said they could not confirm the name or occupation of the arrested person.

Glow’s management had not responded to The Mirror’s request for comment.

A co-worker of Josh’s who wishes to be known as Callum has one GoFundMe Page for his girlfriend, describing the father-of-two as a “one of a kind” family man who loves to laugh.

“Everything he did was for his family; for his kids and his girlfriend,” Callum said.

He was surprised when he heard about the first incident, he said, since Josh was rarely around town.

Callum and Josh originally met when they were youngsters attending the same youth group in Morecambe parish.

While they didn’t see each other much during their teenage years, the two only recently got back together as adults when Josh took a job at Callum’s place of business at F. Edmondson & Sons, a furniture transportation, distribution and delivery company.

While Callum worked with his father on the delivery side of the business, Josh had taken on a role in the warehouse, he said.

Callum’s early memories of Josh were of him being a “healthy boy,” he said, who often fooled around with his twin brother.

“He and his brother were fun together,” Callum said.

“They were like the Jokers. They were relaxed, no problem and didn’t cause a problem with anything.

“They just kept going with the things they had to do and they always looked out for each other – that was the main thing that impressed me.

“And her sister — they always babysat their older sister.”

As an adult, Callum said Josh “hasn’t lost his sense of humor in any way.”

“He was so funny,” he said.

The idea for the GoFundMe page came after another of Josh’s work friends suggested snooping around the office during his first hospitalization.

The original idea had been to raise some money for his girlfriend in case she needed help with bills, Callum said, but he figured they might as well cast the net further, so he set up the fundraising page online.

The fundraising page says Josh left behind a “loving family, a girlfriend and two young children who were left filled with heartbreak and sadness at the actions of others.”

It continued: “We are asking for donations, no matter how large or small, to help cover his funeral expenses and support his family, girlfriend and young children in the challenging times ahead.

“His family and friends would be very grateful for any donation and truly appreciate the support received… Rest In Peace & Fly High Brother”

Callum said there was a real sense of loss in the workplace the day they learned of Josh’s death.

“It’s usually a pretty fun place to work, everyone picks the mick and laughs,” he said.

“But the day I walked in after we found out it had happened, nobody spoke.

“We were all a little slower at work and felt like something bad had happened.

“They all worked closely together every day and every shift. So it was like they all lost a piece of themselves.”

A statement from Lancaster Police on the incident said investigators were “continuing to investigate the incident”.

“A woman who earlier called for police to pursue her has now been identified,” it said.

DCI Jane Webb of the Force Major Investigation Team added: “This incident has resulted in the loss of the life of a young man and my thoughts are with his loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.

“They will continue to be assisted by specially trained officers.

“I would urge anyone with information to come forward and speak to us. If you can help, please get in touch,” she said.

Anyone with information should call the police on 101 and cite Transcript 279 of June 12.

Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.