Hundreds of people attended the military funeral of Trowbridge soldier Matt Brooks this afternoon.

Private Brooks died on May 18 after an attack on May 13 outside a Portsmouth bar, which left him with serious head injuries.

His funeral was held at St James' Church in Trowbridge this afternooon, with the coffin draped in the Union Jack flag and carried in by six serving soldiers.

Amongst the 400 strong congregation were Pte Brooks’ parents Alison and Adrian, of Hornbeam Close, and 17-year-old girlfriend Laura Dew, a Clarendon College student, who wept as she formed part of the procession into the church hall.

She was supported by her parents, and her mother read her tribute on her behalf, in which she said: “You weren’t just my boyfriend, you were my best friend too. You used to say you were nothing special, but you were wrong.”

Mr Brooks also made a moving tribute on behalf of his wife Alison. As his voice waivered he concluded by saying: “Keep smiling, our beautiful baby boy.”

Glowing admiration was also to be found in the Royal Logistic Corps’ Lieutenant Colonel Heron’s tribute, in which he said that Pte Brooks had paved the way as an ‘outstanding soldier’.

The service, which was led by Army chaplain Rev Duncan Weaver, who flew back from Germany especially, was swiftly followed a firing of rifles in the church grounds, to salute the funeral procession.

The coffin was then taken to the West Wiltshire Crematorium in Semington for a private ceremony.