Mayors past and present, a government minister and politicians of all parties, led the civic mourners at the funeral of Freddie Cooper, the last Freeman of Gillingham.

The 91-year-old champion of Rainham and Gillingham filled the parish church of St Margaret's for the second time in less than two years.

Last time it was for a talk about the history of his "beloved Rainham" to mark his 90th birthday and to raise funds for the church restoration.

This time it was to say goodbye.

He was one of the great men of the Medway Towns, Canon Alan Vousden told the mourners, headed by Freddie's son, Derrick.

"He always saw himself as the last line of defence for Rainham and Gillingham - and he took no prisoners," he said.

John McBride, the last chief executive of Gillingham, and like Mr Cooper one of the Rochester Bridge Trust wardens, read the eulogy.

"I'm here because Freddie commanded it - it was always wise to obey," Mr McBride said.

"But if I told you all that he had done for the Medway Towns, we would still be here tomorrow," he said.

"He was involved in just about everything."

Among his roles he was Mayor of Gillingham, twice deputy mayor, alderman for seven years, a councillor from 1951 to 1960. He was Senior Bridge Warden, chaired Cobham College, chaired most of the key Gillingham council seats - and knew every dew pond and arboreal well between Maidstone and Medway.

He ended the towns' reliance for jobs on the dockyard, created the business parks in Gillingham and Medway City Estate, quashed all plans for tower blocks and accelerated council housing in Gillingham.

His last campaign - one of the few to fail - was a bid to save the Municipal Buildings by getting them Listed.

Following the funeral service, the family attended a private cremation at Medway Crematorium.

• Read Alan Watkins' blog Tales from Gun Wharf for more on Freddie Cooper's funeral.