More than 200 people paid their respects to the man who led a campaign to save steelworkers' pensions and helped change the law.

Mourners packed into Minster Abbey to pay their last respects to Sheppey campaigner Andrew Parr.

Baroness Ros Altmann, who was Conservative pensions minister from 2015-16, Conservative MP Gordon Henderson and former Labour MP Derek Wyatt were among those looking back on the life of the man who led a battle to reinstate the pensions of Sheerness steelworkers.

His coffin entered to Fanfare for the Common Man and left to Bat Out of Hell by Meatloaf.

The Rev Canon Gilbert Spencer, a retired vicar of Minster, returned to lead the service and was assisted by the Rev Cindy Kent on Thursday, February 21.

Mr Parr's son Simon said: "It was great to see the church full with so many people who knew my father.

"He had a lovely send-off which included a mini-demo outside the church recreating some of his original demonstrations. I never appreciated how many lives my father touched."

Mr Parr made national headlines leading a campaign where ex-steelworkers stripped outside Labour Party conferences because their own pensions had been "stripped."

The chartered engineer moved to Sheppey in 1982 to work at the steel mill but before he retired, in 2002, he discovered the workers had lost their pensions when the company, then Allied Steel and Wire (ASW), went bust.

With other pensioners in similar situations he set up the Pensions Action Group to get their full pension entitlement. It led to a major change in the law.

His widow Alison recalled: "He eventually took the Government to court putting our own home in Seaside Avenue, Minster, up as collateral without actually telling me!"

Mr Parr was a member of Minster Parish Council, ran the village fete and for seven years was secretary of Minster Abbey.

He died on January 22 at Hengist Field Care Centre, Borden, aged 74.

He had always wanted to see the Abbey floodlit so his family has set up a gofundme.com page called lightuptheabbey to fulfil his wish and raise £20,000.

It has already received more than £2,500 in donations.

His son Simon said: "It would be a fitting tribute if we could reach the target.

"My father always felt floodlights would provide a warm welcome for both the community and visitors and would allow one of Sheppey's oldest and most famous buildings to be seen and admired by all at night."

Mr Parr leaves a widow Alison, three sons Nicholas, James and Simon and six grandchildren.