THE sun shone down on the City of London cemetery this lunchtime as hundreds of people paid their last respects to Wanstead councillor Allan Burgess.

Family, friends, councillors, MPs, police officers and dozens of members of the community all came to the funeral of a man who has been described as "the best councillor Wanstead ever had."

Cllr Burgess died earlier this month after a battle with kidney cancer.

At least 350 people turned up to today's service - a crowd so big not everyone managed to fit inside the chapel, with many forced to listen to the proceedings on speakers outside.

Rev Femi Cole-Njie said the large numbers were "testament to the high esteem in which councillor Burgess was held."

In a moving eulogy, head of parks police John Boylin spoke of the extraordinary character and devotion of Cllr Burgess.

Mr Boylin served as a young sergeant under Cllr Burgess during his time as a borough commander in the 1980s.

He said: "Cllr Burgess was someone that told you exactly what he felt and he never undermined people.

"He was someone that you could quite happily discuss things with and he wouldn't always agree but he always took what you said on board."

Music played during the service included hymn Praise my Soul the King of Heaven, Jerusalem and Freddie Mercury's rendition of Barcelona.

Among those who attended were MPs Harry Cohen and Lee Scott, council leader Alan Weinberg, Labour leader Elaine Norman, Liberal Democrat Leader Hugh Cleaver, Mayor of Redbridge Lorraine Sladden, and dozens of councillors.

The service was followed by a gathering at the Kenneth More Theatre in Ilford.

Cllr Burgess was first elected to the council in 1990 and served as the Leader of the Council from March 2003 to May 2004.