Soho nail bomb victim Julian Dykes was today being comforted by family as he faced up to the news that his pregnant wife had died in the attack.

Mr Dykes, 26, of Taragona Mews, Colchester, finally regained conciousness three weeks after the blast - only to be told his wife Andrea and two friends had lost their lives.

The computer engineer was with a group of friends who took the full brunt of the explosion in the bustling Admiral Duncan pub.

Andrea Dykes, 27, who was four months pregnant with their first child, was discovered dead buried under rubble at the devastated West End scene.

John Light, 32, of Mill Street, Colchester - best man at the couple's wedding and future godfather to their unborn child - was also killed in the attack along with another friend, Nicholas Moore, 31, of Felixstowe.

A spokesman for Scotland Yard said Mr Dykes - who comes from Wivenhoe - was told of the horrific news on Saturday after waking from his three-week coma. He suffered severe burns in the blast and has undergone surgery to deal with nails lodged in his lungs.

He remains in a critical condition in the intensive care unit at the University College Hospital in London where his parents Derek and Patricia remain at his at his bedside. Julian and Andrea, a supervisor at the Gala bingo club in Colchester, walked into the Admiral Duncan with their friends just minutes before the explosion tore through the bar.

Mr Light's partner, Gary Partridge, who was also hurt in the attack, was recently released from hospital and returned to their Mill Street home where he is caring for Mr Light's beloved dog Ben.

Mr Light, who had worked as manager of the Osborne Street club, had bought the couple tickets for the Abba musical Mamma Mia to celebrate being chosen as godfather to their unborn child. School to hold memorial mass

A memorial Mass is being held for Andrea Dykes.

Her former schoolmates have asked St Benedict's College, in Colchester, to organise the service.

Headteacher Alan Whelan said: "Ever since the tragic news of her death in the Soho bomb blast, former school friends of Andrea Dykes - or Andrea Maddock as most here remember her - have been in almost daily contact with the school asking us to organise a special Mass."

The Memorial Mass is being held on Wednesday, June 9 at 7.30pm. A tree is also being planted in the memorial garden, but the school has decided to wait until the planting season in November.

Anyone who wants to go to the mass is asked to contact the St Benedict's School office in advance on 01206 549222.

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