Laser action at 2.04 mum has been achieved in a Tm3+ sensitized Ho3+:SiO2 glass fibre laser. A high Tm3+ concentration of 2000 ppm wt. allows optical pumping at 809 nm, in the wing of the Tm3+ 786 nm absorption. Pumping was performed using a rhodamine 800 dye laser and a 809 nm AlGaAs laser diode operated in fundamental transverse mode. To our knowledge this is the first operation of a laser diode pumped Tm3+:Ho3+:SiO2 fibre laser.