PATIENTS and staff at a Hereford hospice will never forget the day a pop legend dropped in to see them.

Take That frontman Gary Barlow gave many at St Michael's Hospice the greatest day of their lives yesterday during a surprise visit.

The 44-year-old took time out from his band's current UK tour to answer a call from two hospice supporters who have led a social media campaign over many months to bring the musician to the city.

A five-minute film set to Take That hit Relight My Fire had also been produced featuring 500 Herefordshire residents pleading with the singer to visit.

And while at St Michael's he made one patient's dream come true by promising her a ticket to one of his shows.

"I get sent thousands of films but Hereford's was by far the best, so I had to come," said Gary, who toured the hospice's new £8 million 20-bed inpatient centre.

"It has been a privilege to meet so many caring people, who are all doing such a fantastic job.

"The new building is inspirational and a testament to all the people who have raised the money to make it possible."

The lucky woman who will forever remember the visit is Rhianne Nixon, a patient with Motor Neuron Disease who has been supported by St Michael’s Hospice for the past five years and is currently an inpatient.

"I have been a fan for years and when I asked him for a kiss, I got one," she said.

"I can't believe it and the look on my mum's face, when she saw who I was with, was jaw-dropping.

"I know all the tickets for his shows are sold out, but Gary said he could pull a few strings."

The Get Gary to Hereford campaign was led by Martha Summerfield and Jo Smith who run county-based Prestige Events and had set-up an appeal to raise £136,000 to help the hospice's redevelopment.

Hospice community fundraising manager, Paddy Nugent, said visits like Tuesday's show how much people care about St Michael's.

"It costs £4.6million every year to be able to provide services free of charge to the local community," he said.

"Ninety per cent of the money is raised by our local community.

"Get Gary to Hereford is a perfect example of that generosity and shows just how much people think about their hospice.

"The campaign proves that amazing things can happen when we work in partnership with local businesses like Prestige Events.

"Everyone at St Michael's would like to say a massive thank you to Gary Barlow and everyone who helped make his visit a reality."