Acting Chief Constable Maria Wallis saluted the coffin at the funeral of a former colleague who died in a road smash.

Outgoing police chief Paul Whitehouse, for whom Roy Townshend was a driver, also joined the mourners.

Mr Townshend, a retired traffic officer, was riding a Kawasaki motorbike when it was in collision with a BMW 520 and VW Golf on the A275 at Chailey, near Lewes, on August 29.

Mr Townshend, 57, of Haywards Heath, was a Sussex Police traffic constable for 30 years before becoming a civilian driver for the force command team.

Dozens of officers of all ranks joined family and friends for the funeral at St Wilfrid's Church, Church Road, Haywards Heath, yesterday.

His coffin was draped with the Sussex Police flag and a traffic officer's cap was placed on top as six uniformed officers acted as pall-bearers and carried it through a guard of honour formed by officers.

The Reverend Ray Smith, the police chaplain of Haywards Heath police station, led the service.

Inspector Mark Dunn addressed hundreds of mourners who wanted to pay respects to the man who was described as a well-respected, extremely professional man who was liked by everyone.

Mr Dunn said: "I have known him for many years and his reputation on traffic division was legendary.

"He had a very laid-back and relaxed attitude, a very dry sense of humour and I never saw him lose his temper. Things that would upset someone else would never bother Roy.

"Unflustered just summed him up perfectly."

He also recalled some highlights of Mr Townshend's career.

He mentioned the time he collected bottles from skips in Ashdown Forest to redeem them for the money.

One day a rat ran out of one of the skips so he banged the skips with his truncheon before looking for bottles on subsequent visits.

He would also take colleagues on trips and would drive the coaches for them at home and abroad.

Mr Townshend's daughter, Karen, read the poem The Rose Behind The Wheel at the service.

As the service came to a close the church was filled with the sound of the Monty Python team singing Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life, featured in the famous film The Life Of Brian.

Mr Townshend's family then followed the coffin from the church accompanied by a police cavalcade to Worth Crematorium for a private family service by the Rev Francis Pole, senior chaplain for Sussex Police.