HAMPSHIRE musician Tim Colwell was laid to rest to the strains of some of the music he loved best - played by some of the people who thought the world of him.

Scores of musicians joined up with friends and family of one of the south's top saxophone players in a moving memorial service in the New Forest.

Mr Colwell's death, after an alleged attack outside his home at Howards Mead, Pennington, near Lymington, on September 18, came as a shattering blow to many in the community he fought for and to hundreds in the world of music.

At his memorial service and burial at the Hinton Park Woodland Memorial Ground near New Milton, he was literally played to rest by many of those musical friends.

Hymns Amazing Grace and Morning Has Broken were sung from the heart by the 150 mourners - and after a jazz ensemble had played the blues number Blue Monk, former Lymington vicar, the Rev Michael Joint, said: "Tim would have appreciated that."

The most fitting tune of all was Sentimental Journey, which accompanied him out of the chapel and on the 300-yard procession to his burial plot.

Taking that long walk of love and respect were friends from the estate where he fought for an end to hooliganism, from the music scene to which he gave so much and family friends who had always kept in close touch.

Opening the service with the buffet and wine just feet away from him, Mr Joint said: "When the musicians were getting ready, someone said 'This is like a party'.

"That is exactly what Tim would have wanted."

He recalled how welcome he had been made in Lymington in his early days as vicar by Mr Colwell and said: "He was a man who loved other people.

"He loved his community and made the very best out of life."

He also recalled Mr Colwell's determination to help after the church had been severely damaged by the gales of 1987 and described him as "a gentle giant, a great character and a very special man" whose death had been a tragic loss to his community.