THE funeral has been held for a former Deal man who was awarded the British Empire Medal for courage and endurance during the 1982 Falklands War.

Barry Limbrick died in hospital in Brighton on December 1, aged 62. He was born in Deal and was the son of a miner.

Before joining the Royal Navy at the age of 15, he was a pupil at Deal Secondary School, now Castle Community College.

His twin Michael, who lives in Whitfield, said his brother served for 22 years before retiring as a warrant officer.

Michael said: "My brother trained as a diver and bomb disposal expert during his service.

"He recovered items vital to national security from the wreck of HMS Coventry and was awarded the BEM for his leadership, courage, determination and endurance."

Mr Limbrick’s funeral was held in Worthing, West Sussex, on Monday. He leaves two daughters.