Hundreds of people packed a rural church to say goodbye to a popular fisherman and gig rower.

Maker Church, on the Rame Peninsula saw more than 500 mourners attend the funeral of Tony Jago, a founder member of Rame Gig Club, who died on December 23.

Rev Robin Doyle, vicar and rector of Maker with Rame, said: 'There were something like between 500 and 600 people at the service – the most I can remember in my time here, which is since 1981.

'People were standing shoulder to shoulder, it was so packed there were around 200 people who had to stay outside.'

Tony, who was born and bred in the village of Kingsand, was a career fisherman, skipper of the boats Bosloe, Nor Rocker, Flete Lady, Camaret and Cawsand Bay.

He was also passionate about gig rowing, helping to found the Rame Gig Club and, as gig racing went from strength to strength, he became an official measurer for the Cornish Pilot Gig Association, one of the people responsible for inspecting every gig built in the county.

Gill Gibson, vice chairman of Rame Gig Club, said: 'Tony will be irreplaceable and a great loss to Rame Gig Club, the entire gig community, as well as all those who knew and loved him.'

In a tribute read at the funeral, the Rev Doyle said: 'In addition to a whole generation of fisherman, there is a multitude of people who remember Tony with both affection and gratitude.

'Tony was, in many ways, a one-off and the legacy he leaves in people's minds is very great.

'Our memories of him and the contribution he has given to the younger generations around our coast are the best memorial of his life that there can be. May it long live on.'

Many people have paid tribute to Tony on Rame Gig Club's website. He leaves a wife, Angela, and two sons, Roger and Sam.