Family and friends have said their final farewells to a former coastguard, firefighter and garage owner from Falmouth who recently passed away.

David Eddy was born in Falmouth in 1958 and brought up in the town, where he developed an early interest in cars while playing around a local mechanics' shop.

His older brother Tony said: "When we were children we spent a lot of time down in Pollard's Garage on Dracaena Avenue. We used to play there, down under ground, they had underground tunnels. The mechanics didn't mind that."

David went from playing at Pollard's to being an apprentice at the firm, and continued at the same site when it became Pennocks, and when the firm closed he moved to Rider's, and on to John Burgess' garage near Falmouth Docks. After that he set up his own business at Goonhilland, north of Penryn.

As well as his job as a mechanic, David was an auxiliary coastguard based at the old coastguard's hut on Pendennis Point, and after that he joined the special constabulary.

Tony said: "He was a special for a number of years. After that he joined me at Falmouth Fire Station as a retained firefighter. He did about 22 years, something like that, at Falmouth. I'm sure he had his 20 years medal."

David also sang with Nankersey Male Voice Choir, where he used to sing ballads with his friend Andy Hanson, including numbers by artists such as Simon and Garfunkel.

Tony recalled his brother as being a "fun person," who liked to dress up, especially at Christmas.

He said: "He used to love to wear a bow tie at Christmas, so on the day of the funeral we all wore bow ties."

He added: "He was a dab hand at cooking, he used to make all sorts of things for the family. He was just a great person, he really will be sorely missed."

David was well known and well loved, and Tony said that was shown on the day of the funeral.

He said: "There was some people there from the garage business, and the fire brigade pulled out all the stops, it was brilliant. The hearse and following car drove though the fire station, and they escorted us down to the church with their appliance.

"There were six bearers, only one serving fire fighter - the rest was the old retained crew that he served with."

David leaves behind his wife Debbie and children Samantha, Kerry and Scott, as well as his mother Sylvia and twin sister Julie.