A FARMER from Melksham who died in his sleep will be carried by tractor to his funeral today.

A tractor and trailer will carry Charlie Humphries's coffin from his home in Holbrook Vale to Semington for the service at St George's Church.

Mr Humphries, pictured right, died on October 3 at the age of 61. An initial post-mortem examination failed to establish a cause of death, but it was later established he died from a heart attack.

Mr Humphries was well known as a keen darts player, rock and roll fan and someone who was always willing to help people in his community.

His daughter Maria Reeves said: "Taking him to the funeral on his tractor was my idea because dad hadn't thought about things like that because he was too busy to die.

"If you added up all his working and social life he was probably about 120 years old in real terms because of how busy he always was."

Born in Semington in 1944, Mr Humphries lived next to St George's Church in Church Street and went to the village school, then just a stone's throw from his home on the other side of the churchyard.

The youngest of seven brothers, he left school to work as a farm labourer, spent some time as a long distance lorry driver and then worked as head slaughterman at an abattoir in Semington.

At the age of 19 he moved to Holbrook Vale and, after the varied careers in the earlier part of his life, eventually settled down as a farmer in the Berryfield area of the town.

He had three children Maria, Mandy and Lester, and his son will drive the funeral tractor.

Despite having to work long hours, Mr Humphries always found time for his many and varied hobbies.

Mrs Reeves said: "He was well known in pubs in the town for playing darts and was even playing darts the night before he died.

"He was also very keen on fishing and spent many weekends mackerel fishing in West Bexington, between Weymouth and West Bay, where he had friends.

"Rock and roll was another of dad's hobbies and he would go all over the country to rock and roll events so he got to know a lot of people through that as well."

Mr Humphries enjoyed playing cards and was involved with the committee at Semington Social Club. For the last few years he lived with his partner Beryl Holbrook and liked to spend time with his nine grandchildren.

The funeral is being held today at 3.15pm. Flowers or donations for a memorial bench at Semington can be sent to H Merrett Funeral Directors, 26A Church Street, Melksham, SN12 6LS.