Funeral service held for ITV journalist Gary Burgess

• Report by ITV Channel's Richard Pallot

Friends and family of the much-loved ITV journalist Gary Burgess gathered on Tuesday 18 January for his funeral.

Gary passed away on New Year's Day following a battle with cancer. He was 46.

The service took place at St Helier Methodist Centre.

Due to coronavirus rules in Jersey, numbers inside the church were strictly limited but thousands more watched online through a live stream of the service.

Gary planned his own funeral in the months before his passing, writing an opening message in the order of service that summed up his wit and character.

He wrote: "Hello and welcome to my funeral. I appreciate reading a welcome from your host, especially when I am not here in my usual capacity, is a little odd."

The service included eulogies from Gary's best friend Alistair Clarke, ITV Channel Television's Head of News, Karen Rankine and his husband Alan Burgess.

Alan gave a heartfelt tribute, saying "we loved and we laughed and we lived and that means more to me than I can ever hope to put into words."

Alistair spoke of Gary's passion for news and infectious love for life that spread to everyone who met him.

He said: "There's a wonderful phrase that people use, 'be more Burgess'. What did that mean to Gary? Just be nice, just help other people. For those in power and politics, do the right thing. Gary loved the Channel Islands and collectively they loved him back."

The public have been asked not to send flowers but to instead consider making a contribution to a fundraising page which has been set up in Gary's honour.

Donations will be shared between three charities close to his heart - Macmillan Jersey, Cancer Research UK and Jersey Hospice Care.