Old vehicle collector and well-known circus entertainer Tony Gutteridge had his dying wish fulfilled.

His coffin was carried to the funeral in a horse-drawn hearse.

Mr Gutteridge, of Faringdon Road, Southmoor, who died aged 68, was taken to the funeral in Longworth Church in a hearse brought from north Wales, where he worked at one time.

The funeral procession started at Southmoor Village Hall instead of his house, because the entrance to his home did not have enough space for the horses.

Having a horse-drawn hearse combined his interests of animals and old vehicles.

When he was a circus entertainer, Mr Gutteridge worked with geese, bears and dogs, among other animals.

He was also chairman of Longworth History Society. Fellow member of the society and friend, David Jordan, 64, said: "In the weeks before he died he used to come round to me for tea and he said he would like a horse-drawn hearse.

"Even though there was nothing written down, his family respected his request and they went out of their way to find one. He used to do film work with horses and was a carriage driver for the film Pride and Prejudice."

Mr Gutteridge ran his own circus under the name of Tony Luke. He was well-known throughout the circus world.