A retired lorry driver arrived at his funeral the way he travelled most of his life – in an HGV.

Ron Acott, 74, drove all over Europe throughout his career, often carrying important loads, including part of an aeroplane, an entire building and the Lord Mayor’s Coach.

He drove lorries throughout his working life, for more than 50 years, and spent a large part of his career working as a heavy haulage truck driver for David Lumsden at D and B Lumsden Ltd.

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During that time he transported heavy machinery, military vehicles such as tanks, mining equipment and a multi-storey building, although the building was too big to go on the road and was just driven across a site in Essex.

Watch: Ron Acott's HGV funeral

Daughter Nicola Davis said: “It was one of his proudest moments when he was asked to transport the carriage. He was overwhelmed that he was asked to do that.

"He was such a good driver he was trusted with large, important items. He loved driving lorries so we wanted his last journey to be on the back of one.”

Daughter Alison Cooper remembers her dad bringing back gifts from his trips abroad.

She said: “He brought my sister back a cat, which she called Moggy. It was 16 when it died.

"One Friday he came back from a long trip and brought me a teddy, my sister a dolls house and my brother some Manchester United football socks. When my mum asked where he’d got them from he said: ‘Let’s just say they fell off the back of a lorry.’

“He gave a lot to the lorry driving industry. We’ll all miss him.”

Mr Lumsden’s son Colin, also a haulier and proprietor of CPL Transport Services (UK) Ltd, provided the lorry that brought Mr Acott’s coffin to Vinters Park Crematorium this morning for the funeral, which was organised by Angels Independent Family Funerals in Heath Road, Coxheath.

The coffin was unloaded from the HGV at the gates of the crematorium and transferred into a hearse for the final part of the journey.

Mr Lumsden said: “I was honoured to have been asked by Nicola, his daughter, to take Ron on the back of one of our vehicles for his final journey. I think it turned a few heads.

“I knew Ron well. When I was at school he used to let me ride to Europe with him in the school holidays. We went across France, Germany, Italy.

"When Ron travelled to the continent in the winter he would often be stuck for a week or two at the Mont Blanc Tunnel between France and Italy, waiting for the snow to clear so the police could escort him through the tunnel.

"He’d just be sitting there waiting. That was just one of the challenges he faced.”

Mr Acott grew up in Yalding, later moving to Coxheath. When he wasn’t driving he enjoyed rebuilding cars, particularly Daimlers.

He was living in Tovil when he died at Maidstone Hospital. He had been suffering from Alzheimer’s.

Mr Acott had three children from his first marriage to Patricia, Diane, 52, Ron, 51, and Alison, 47.

The trio gave their dad seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

With his second wife, Sheila, who died in 2013, he had daughter Nicola and a son, Darren.

Nicola, who is now married to husband Laurence, gave Mr Acott three grandchildren.

Donations can be made in Mr Acott’s name to Dementia UK or Alzheimer’s Society via Angels on 01622 741777.