CELEBRITY gardener Charlie Dimmock will say an emotional farewell to her mother and stepfather at a funeral service in Hampshire planned for next month.

Charlie and her family have organised the service for Sue and Robert Kennedy at Romsey Abbey, near to the couple's home in West Wellow.

The Kennedys were among the victims of the tsunami disaster that struck South East Asia on Boxing Day while the couple were holidaying in the region.

Details of the service have now emerged after the bodies of Mr and Mrs Kennedy, who ran a Southampton-based PR firm, were repatriated to the UK following a long wait for them to be identified by Thai officials.

The Kennedys were said to be "much loved and sadly missed" by the family, including Charlie, and mourners were asked to make donations to pet charities, including The Cats Protection League, The National Canine Defence League and The Horse Rescue League, in their memory.

Charlie Dimmock's spokesman said the former Ground Force star wanted the funeral to be a private event.

Friend Jeni Noordijk, who runs the Shoe Inn in Plaitford, where the couple were regulars, said: "They were just two unique people who were caught in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Charlie herself was said to be dealing with the loss of her mother to whom she was very close by living "day to day".

News of their death in the disaster that claimed the lives of 300,000, including 440 British people, sent shock waves through the close-knit village where they lived.

Normal life stood still in West Wellow during the anxious wait for news but as time went on, hope for the Kennedy's safe return faded.

The couple were thought to have travelled to Khao Lak or the popular tourist island of Phuket after leaving their home in mid December

Villagers are expected to attend the service to pay their respects on June 7 before a private cremation is held for family and close friends.

Since the tragedy, Charlie is reported to have struggled to find work after TV bosses announced the scrapping of her show Ground Force.

As reported in the Daily Echo, the 38-year-old has been giving lectures on QE2 and is currently part of the BBC's team at the Chelsea Flower Show.

The lives of Robert and Sue Kennedy were two of many lost across Hampshire to the disaster - including Kevin and Sandra Forkan from the New Forest whose six children were orphaned on Boxing Day.

A service for the victims of the tsumani held in London earlier this month was not attended by Charlie due to prior commitments.