Holy Family Church was packed with mourners for the funeral of Fr Leo Porter.

He was priest there for more than a decade and there was standing room only as the congregation came to the Marlowe Avenue church to pay their final respects yesterday.

Fr Porter, who was 64, died in his sleep last month.

He had been in poor health for some time and had a leg amputated.

However, he had been in a buoyant mood prior to his death.

The Rt Rev Declan Lang, the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Clifton, accompanied by 44 other priests and representatives from the town's other religious denominations, presided over the funeral.

He led the Requiem Mass for a man he described as a Swindonian through and through.

It was an apt description for Father Porter, who was ordained at Holy Rood Church in Groundwell Road on March 27, 1978.

He was assistant priest in St Mary's for three years during the 1980s.

Bishop Lang said: "Father Leo showed tremendous courage during his illness with no sign of any bitterness he accepted it as being God's will."

The local branch of the Knights of St Columba for whom he was chaplain formed a guard of honour as Father Porter's coffin was taken from Holy Family Church for the final journey to Kingsdown Crematorium.

Fr Porter was a late entrant to the priesthood he was 38 at the time of his ordination and had been a ship's steward prior to taking Holy Orders.