Thousands of adoring fans have signed a petition to resurrect Terry Pratchett - a direct reference to the famous character Death in his Discworld series.

The campaign, which was launched last night by Tom Pride, and who quoted Terry Pratchett as saying: 'There are times in life when people must know when not to let go," has already attracted more than 4000 signatures. Fans paid tribute to Pratchett in touching messages, with light-hearted jokes about death and dying that the author would no doubt have appreciated. Iain Sutherland wrote: "Terry Pratchett turned Death from a figure of hate into a much loved and sometimes welcomed character. No-one else cared about you Death. You owe him!" And JC Melia commented: "No one is actually dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away." In reference to the suspension of the petition to bring back Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson to the BBC, Tom Pride added: "If there is any justice in the world, this petition will beat Jeremy Clarkson's. So it won't." The fantasy author died aged 66 from early onset Alzheimers in his home, with his cat sleeping on his bed, surrounded by his family. His daughter announced his passing to the world in the voice of Death in the Discworld books.

You can sign the petition here: https://www.change.org/p/death-bring-back-terry-pratchett