HIS tragic death left devastated partner Tara Gondzik to bring up their two young children alone.

Mike Williams died five days after suffering severe head injuries in an incident in the street in Bramham Road, Chapelfields, York.

He was the breadwinner for grief-stricken Tara, 23, and their three-year-old daughter, Shannon, and two-year-old son, Lennon.

Now Michael's oldest brother, Paul, has decided to lend the young family a helping hand by organising a major benefit concert, featuring top punk and ska bands.

Paul, 39, of Spalding Avenue, Cifton, York, said: "The tragic circumstances of Mike's death have left us all reeling as a family, but I felt I needed to do something for my brother and his family."

The Mike Williams Benefit Concert, to be staged at Certificate 18 in Gillygate on Saturday, April 22, will feature several bands including Skabilly Rebels, whose line-up includes Roddy Radiation - co-founder of The Specials.

Paul said he hoped the event, which is already attracting Ska fans from as far away as Scotland and the Midlands, would raise as much as £2,000 for Tara and the children.

Tara said: "I think it's brilliant. He didn't have to do it. Obviously, the children will benefit from it, and I'd like to thank Paul and everybody that's taking the time and effort to do this."

Tara said her children were not fully aware of what had happened, although Shannon kept asking for her daddy.

"I just say he's with the angels," she said. "She keeps a photo of her dad, which she found in an album, on her pillow."

Asked how she was faring, she said: "I'm fine."

Paul said: "Mike's death will leave a big hole in the family. He was a proud dad. He worked at Graves Construction and was the family breadwinner, with Tara at home looking after the kids.

"Mike was always larger than life. He was the life and soul of the party. My mum always called him a loveable rogue."

Paul said Mike had undergone two operations after being transferred to hospital in Leeds for treatment to the head injury, but the surgery was unable to save his life.

He revealed that Paul Weller, of the Jam, had heard about his plight, and agreed to record a goodwill message to play to him to help bring him out of a coma, but he had then died. Mr Weller had then sent a huge bouquet of flowers to Tara.

Paul said Mike's death had come only days after their grandmother had also died. "He died in my arms," he said. "His mum is distraught and Tara is grief-stricken."

The four bands who will be playing for free at the fund-raising event will include the leading Ska band Rough Kutz from Stoke, and local bands such as The Mighty Booze, with DJ Miggy spinning the best sounds in punk and ska.

"The highlight of this is that all the £10 entry fee goes to Mike's family, and we are also having a raffle of some good stuff, with the top prize being accommodation and tickets for four people to attend a ska/alternative music weekend at Great Yarmouth."

A 27-year-old local man, Steven John Stone, of no fixed address, has been remanded in custody, charged with injuring Michael Williams with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm.

Updated: 14:42 Thursday, March 16, 2006