A MILLIONAIRE businessman who helped fund a controversial church has died suddenly aged 41.

Piers Springthorpe, of Leek Road, Gawsworth, lost his battle for life after a 25-day fight at Wythenshawe Hospital.

The businessman was a member of the Church of Scientology, whose members include Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and John Travolta.

Mr Springthorpe, who lived in a Macclesfield mansion with wife and fellow believer Yvonne, was a key member of the Manchester branch and was one of the major contributors to its proposed new £3.5m church building in Old Trafford.

He was managing director of marketing firm Merrehill and lived with his wife, fellow-believer Yvonne, in a Macclesfield mansion with their three dogs, which had special nannies.

Sam Butler, a family friend and spokesman for the Manchester Scientology Church on Deansgate said "Piers had ascended up through our church and had reached a level of prominence. He donated not only significant financial aid but also his time.

"He was committed to helping others, not only Scientologists but members of the public. He had a passion for building and architecture so he naturally fell into the role of helping with our property acquisition.  Piers will be remembered as a unique individual known for his broad smile, easy sense of humour and his dedication to helping others pick themselves up. He was tireless in these endeavours and set an example for others to follow.  He was particularly active in seeing that proper drug rehabilitation and education were made available to everyone as well as literacy skills. He was always seeing the best in people and would re-arrange his life to bring more to the church."

Mr Springthorpe – former executive of Macclesfield firm Corporate Software – was a member of the Naturopathic Medicine college, but Sam said their belief system did not exclude taking prescriptive medicine.

Mr Springthorpe’s funeral service will be held at St James Church, Gawsworth, followed by a committal ceremony at Macclesfield Crematorium. Mr Springthorpe's wife said she was too upset to comment.

The Church of Scientology was founded by science fiction writer L Ron Hubbard in 1952, and describes itself as ‘the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself, others and all of life’.

On Mr Springthorpe’s own website, he wrote that he joined the church after taking a personality test outside the Deansgate branch in 1983.

He said: "The training I have done has given me my personal certainty and great abilities in life."

But the church has consistently been accused by critics of being a ‘cult’ and is not classed as a religion.