Members of Wiltshire's legal profession, family, friends and clients filled St John's Church in Devizes this afternoon for the funeral of solicitor Jim Ward.

Father-of-three Mr Ward, who lived in Bratton, died on July 22 of injuries received when he was shot in his office three weeks earlier.

The huge church was full to capacity for the service of thanksgiving for his life, a private cremation having taken place earlier in the day.

Following a hymn, Mr Ward's daughter Pippa read from Corinthians, before paying her own tribute to her father.

Mr and Mrs Ward's former law partner, Judge Francis Goddard, read the eulogy and Canon Paul Richardson, vicar of St John's spoke of the great evil that had overtaken Mr Ward and, by extension, of the whole community of Devizes.

He said that the large number of people attending the service had overcome that evil with their love.