“I THINK he would have been proud”. Those were the words of Neville Bullock's daughter after hundreds of mourners turned out to pay their respects to Winston Churchill’s former bodyguard today.

Tributes were paid to 92-year-old Neville from Garswood whose coffin arrived in a Rolls Royce, used by the former prime minister in the D-Day celebrations.

The service was led by Reverend Colin Gordon-Farleigh at St Helens Crematorium this morning for Neville, who was also a former Royal Marine, policeman and fireman as well as a former councillor for Billinge and Seneley Green.

Among those attending were Neville’s daughters Jane and Kate as well as his grandchildren Andrew, Jack and Rose.

His daughter Jane Donnelly said: “It’s been an excellent day today there must have been more than a hundred people here with all the marine cadets and the navy and British Legion, fire brigade and police and flag bearers from Yorkshire and Lancashire.

“It’s been a wonderful tribute to him and we are so grateful to everyone for turning up

“We are so happy everyone came to pay tribute to him. I think he would have been proud.”

St Helens councillors as well as St Helens North MP Conor McGinn were among those paying their respects to a man who lived a “very active and interesting life".

Crews from Eccleston fire station took along an engine and saluted Neville as the hearse arrived.

A moving eulogy told of Neville’s extraordinary life in which he not only served his country and community, but also helped to secure equal rights for women working in Apex in Huyton.

It went on to comment on how Neville also successfully fought at the High Court in London to get better employment conditions for retained fireman, which improved contracts for all part time workers.

He also counted former mayor of New York Rudy Guiliani as a friend after organising a visit to the city shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attack to offer support to the fire service. Neville also invited the only surviving member of the New York fire department and his family to come to England as guests of St Helens Fire Brigade.

A flag above St Helens Town Hall is flying at half-mast today in tribute to Neville.

A wake at The Railway Hotel in Garswood followed the service.