To the beat of a single drum and with full military honours, Army bomb disposal expert Lt Col Michael Watkins was escorted to his funeral.

Part of the centre of Witney was sealed off in a massive security exercise for the service in St Mary's Church on Church Green.

Lt Col Watkins, 51, who lived in Standlake, died while exploring a First World War trench near Arras in northern France to check that old ammunition dumps were no longer dangerous.

He was one of the country's leading bomb disposal experts and was Directorate of Land Service Ammunition in Didcot. He was feared and hated by the IRA.

Traffic was banned from Church Green for 24 hours before the funeral yesterday and people were asked for identification.

The funeral took place with full military honours with Church Green lined by colleagues from the Royal Logistics Corps - their heads bowed in respect. An honour party marched slowly in front of the hearse containing Lt Col Watkins' coffin, draped with the Union flag and decked with a spray of red carnations, his cap, belt and sword. Standing at the church gates was his widow, Rowena, clutching the hand of their six-year-old son, Robin.

His coffin was carried into St Mary's Church by pall bearers from the Royal Logistics Corps for the service conducted by the Vicar of Witney, the Rev Cameron Butland, and the Rev David Murray, Rector of Standlake.

Major Mike Dolamore and Larry Hollingworth, from the United Nations, spoke on his life and career, and hymns included Who Would True Valour See and Jerusalem.

After the service, a bugler played the Last Post and as the coffin emerged from the church three volleys rang out from a firing party in the churchyard.

The funeral was followed by a private cremation at Oxford.

Lt Col Watkins joined the Army in 1962 and was mentioned twice in dispatches for his work in Northern Ireland. He also received an MBE.

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