THE PARENTS of a man killed in Angola have told how but for an act of kindness he would have have been at home with his family instead of still working in the war-torn country.

Mining engineer Patrick Bergin died when the car he was travelling in was ambushed and riddled with machine-gun fire by Angolan rebels.

His shocked parents, who live in Thelwall, were told the news on Thursday morning. In an exclusive interview with the GUARDIAN Midweek, they told how they had been worried about their son since he took up the job at a diamond mine in the West African country last year.

His mother, Maye King, said Patrick was due to fly home for Christmas but decided to stay on and let a friend, who was celebrating his silver wedding anniversary, travel in his place.

Patrick, who was aged 33, was born in Hong Kong. He moved with his family to Warrington when he was very young and lived in the town until he was 18. He attended St Benedict's RC Primary School, Sir Thomas Boteler Grammar School and Priestley College.

Maye said: "When Pat was 18 he went to the Camborne School of Mining Engineering in Cornwall and loved the area so much he stayed there.

"He was fanatical about mining engineering. As a boy he used to collect stones and rocks. My grandfather was a gold miner and I think it rubbed off on Pat. He adopted his great grandfather's name, Bergin, and carried on the family tradition."

The last time they saw their son was in March last year when he travelled up to Cheshire with his wife Hazel and their children, Kayleigh and James.

"He was aware of the dangers in Angola. He knew it was very dangerous but I think you tend to think 'well, it won't happen to me'," added Maye.

Pat's adoptive father George Seed said: "He was smitten by the whole idea of it. It was inevitable he would end up mining. I just wish he hadn't gone to Angola. We didn't think he would go back a second time because he had told us how bad things were out there."

Maye said: "He didn't talk about it very much. He just said it wasn't very nice.

"What is amazing is his four brothers have all served in the armed forces without a scratch, yet he was killed doing a conventional job.

"I'm dreading the funeral. Until that has happened I won't be able to accept it at all. It all happened so far away."

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