THE son of a woman whose dying wish was to make a donation to the RNLI handed over a cheque for £5,000 amidst rapturous applause at the Sea Shanty Festival on Sunday.

Twelve years after she passed away, Steve Clear was finally able to fulfil mum Marian's wish, after it was included in the Will of his father John, who died last year.

"I couldn't come to the festival last year because dad - bless his cotton socks - went just before it was going to start," said the 57 year-old, who is affectionately known as "Steve from York" by festival-goers.

"Unfortunately we lost mum in 2006 before she had chance to write her wish into the Will, so we have had to wait all this time to put it in dad's Will, before the money was available," he said.

Steve began collecting for the RNLI in the housing estates of north Bolton, in Lancashire, 45 years ago.

"Mum was always passionate about the RNLI and I used to carry around my little plastic lifeboat to collect money for them. Living in Bolton, I don't know why she was so passionate about them - that has been lost in the mists of time," he added.

Her other legacy was to leave behind £5,000 for the RSPCA, while his dad wanted to donate £5,000 to the Salvation Army. Steve will also honour those promises in due course.

"I had an absolutely marvellous time at this year's festival. Coming to Falmouth to sing shanties and drink beer is just wonderful - I'll definitely be back next year," he added.

He first came to Cornwall in the early 1990s, paying tribute to those lost in the Penlee Lifeboat disaster of 1981, in which 16 people died, including eight volunteer lifeboatmen.

"I really hope that the money can be divided between Penlee, St Mary's and Falmouth lifeboats, as they're all something special to me," he added.

Steve presented the cheque to Betty Stogs in front of a huge crowd in Events Square on Sunday afternoon.