ACTOR and former professional wrestler Pat Roach was yesterday laid to rest in Worcestershire - a "place he loved".

Roach, most famous for his role as Brian "Bomber" Busbridge in the TV series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, was buried in Bromsgrove, where many of his family lived.

His colleagues from the series - Jimmy Nail, Tim Healey and Kevin Whateley (also of Morse fame) all attended the service at St John's Church, Bromsgrove, which included a reading of his favourite poem If - by Rudyard Kipling.

Jimmy Nail's rendition of Danny Boy was played as Roach's coffin was lowered into his grave.

The 67-year-old (pictured right), who passed away on July 17 after a long battle with cancer, had also spent many years living on a farm in Wychbold, near Droitwich.

Hundreds of people came to the county to say goodbye to the star who, in his prime, was six ft four inches tall with a 51-inch chest and weighed nearly 20 stones.

But red-bearded Roach was described as a gentle giant by those who knew him - attributes he brought to the role of Bomber.

"Pat loved this part of the world," said his tearful biographer, Shirley Thompson, who wrote two books with him and was working on a third at the time of his death.

"It meant a lot to him because his family live here and because he used to live here, but also he thought it was a beautiful place.

"Although a big man, he was gentle and quiet in character and Worcestershire suited him."

His size also meant he could, of course, turn to villainy when required, and he enjoyed playing the heavy in a number of big films, including the Bond movie Never Say Never Again and in all three Indiana Jones epics.

It had been rumoured that Harrison Ford and Stephen Spielberg would attend the funeral, but they did not show up.

Roach, who was European and British Heavyweight wrestling champion, leaves a widow, Doreen, a son and a grandson.