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D-day veteran's funeral: Service held for Cyril Banks

Stuart Woodward/BBC Funeral cortege arriving at crematorium in HarlowStuart Woodward/BBC
Cyril Banks was laid to rest on Monday

About 100 people, including Chelsea Pensioners, attended the funeral of a World War Two D-Day veteran.

Cyril Banks, from Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, died aged 97 on 6 May.

He enlisted in the Royal Navy aged 18 in 1943 and was deployed on mine-sweeping operations off "Gold Beach" for the Normandy landings in 1944.

Also a prolific fundraiser, his funeral took place at Parndon Wood Road Crematorium near Harlow, Essex, on Monday.

After the war he served in South East Asia, where he assisted in the repatriation of Australian prisoner of wars.

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Mr Banks made the headlines when in 2016, the veteran, then aged 91, had his £9,000 life savings stolen from him by fraudsters who pretended to be from the Met Police.

An online fundraising page set up following the scam raised £18,000 - half of which he gave away to charity.

Stuart Woodward/BBC Flag bearers and funeral cortegeStuart Woodward/BBC
About 100 people attended Monday's service

He also raised £16,000 for The Not Forgotten Association, which helps serving and ex-service men and women, and once abseiled down Harlow's water tower to help raise additional funds.

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