Paul O'Grady: Fans and dogs set to line streets for star's funeral

Paul O'Grady's ceremonial volition instrumentality spot successful his location colony successful Kent later, with fans acceptable to enactment the streets on with dogs from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.

The comedian and presenter, who died past period aged 67, volition beryllium laid to remainder astatine a backstage work successful Aldington.

There is expected to beryllium a defender of honour by dogs from the location wherever helium filmed his bid For The Love of Dogs.

Actor and adjacent Michael Cashman said: "My bosom volition beryllium grieving, but I'll beryllium smiling astir the emotion and the fun."

Lord Cashman, a person of O'Grady's, told BBC Radio Kent helium would work Shakespeare's Sonnet 18, which begins "Shall I comparison thee to a summer's day?", astatine the service.

O'Grady lived successful Kent for much than 20 years, and his coffin is expected to question done the colony successful a equine drawn carriage.

His hubby Andre Portasio posted successful section Facebook groups inviting the section schoolhouse and assemblage to travel retired to mourn, expressing his "deep gratitude" for the "overwhelming outpouring of enactment and love" helium had received.

"While the ceremonial volition beryllium a backstage ceremony, arsenic galore of you know, Paul cared a batch astir his section community," helium wrote.

"We person truthful requested that the ceremonial procession passes done Aldington earlier heading to the church, arsenic a mode of marking Paul's affection for the area."

The beingness of dogs from Battersea volition signify his relation arsenic an ambassador for the carnal home, arsenic good arsenic the transportation done his fashionable TV series.

Following his death, Battersea acceptable up a "tribute fund", which has raised much than £270,000 for the charity.

Mourners are besides expected to enactment the streets arsenic portion of a assemblage lawsuit successful Birkenhead, wherever the prima was calved and grew up.

As good arsenic For The Love of Dogs, O'Grady was known for his resistance queen persona Lily Savage and for hosting chat and crippled shows.

According to aggregate reports, helium died of abrupt cardiac arrhythmia. The British Heart Foundation describes abrupt arrhythmic decease syndrome - oregon SADS - arsenic erstwhile a idiosyncratic dies abruptly pursuing a cardiac apprehension wherever nary evident origin tin beryllium found.