Mourners from far and wide turned out for the funeral of a traveller from Marston, in Oxford, yesterday.

Hundreds of friends and family arrived at St Nicholas' Church in Elsfield Way to pay their respects to Bill Loveridge, who lived on land in nearby Mill Lane.

A procession of cars travelled from Mill Lane, up to the Green Road roundabout in Headington and through Sandford-on-Thames, before returning to the church in Marston.

As well as the funeral cars, the procession included more than a dozen flat-bed trucks carrying floral tributes to Mr Loveridge in the shape of some of his favourite things, including his local pub, The Catherine Wheel, a snooker table, a forklift truck, a bottle of brandy, an armchair, a chainsaw and a hammer.

There was also a floral tribute to Mr Loveridge's Bedford truck, which he had restored himself. The real truck was used instead of a hearse.