A SPONSORED walk will take place this weekend to help raise money for the funeral of a popular Dudley dad who died after falling from a footbridge in Wolverhampton.

Chris Brookes was found lying in a bus lane on the Wolverhampton Ring Road at 3.16am on Sunday, October 29.

The 22-year-old, who worked for Elta Fans in Kingswinford, suffered a serious head injury and despite the best efforts of medics at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital, he later died.

Chris, who grew up in Wrens Nest but lived in Tame Road, Oldbury, was dad to daughter Layla Jade and was expecting his first child with his parter Sarah Jayne - a son who will now be called Chris Jr in his honour.

Family and friends are now trying to help raise funds to help with the cost of Chris' funeral, which will take place at Gornal Wood Cemetery and Crematorium on November 29.

Two fundraisers are planned, with the first being a sponsored walk, which will start from Hillside Road in Wrens Nest at 11am on Saturday (November 11).

The route, which is just over five miles, will see people walk through Sedgley and finish at the Wolverhampton footbridge that Chris fell from.

A football tournament at Meadow Road Youth Centre, Dudley, will take place on the following Saturday (November 18).

The event will kick off at 11am with a series of 10 minute games.

There will also be prizes up for grabs with a raffle and tombola, two bouncy castles to keep kids entertained, hot food from a burger van and the Black Country delicacy grey peas and bacon will be served up for people to enjoy.

Chris' sister-in-law, Jodie Brookes, told the News that the aim was to raise "as much as possible", adding that in addition to helping towards funeral costs, cash raised from the two events would also fund a memorial bench.

An inquest into Chris' death was opened and adjourned by Black Country coroner Zafar Siddique yesterday (Wednesday).

Mr Siddique adjourned the inquest until December 21 for further investigations to take place.