THE funeral of life-long countryman Willie Tough brought Leigh to a standstill.

Mr Tough, 52, who died after a six-month battle against cancer, was buried in Leigh Cemetery after a funeral at a packed Twelve Apostles RC Church, Westleigh.

The service, conducted by Fr Peter Devlin, was attended by over 500 mourners, many spilling on to the green outside the church.

The cortege was headed by a huntsman and hounds from the North East Cheshire draghounds, where Mr Tough was a former joint master of hounds. Mr Tough's coffin was carried on a flower-decked, flat-topped open cart.

A traveller whose business was surrounded by horses, Mr Tough died in Urmston.

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