Flt Sgt Bell was described as a dedicated man

A Nimrod from the Moray base staged a flypast as Flt Sgt Gerard Bell's coffin left the Forres Parish Church of St Laurence.

A firing party of 12 also fired a volley of shots over the 48-year-old married father-of-two's grave.

He was among the 12 RAF personnel, a Royal Marine and a soldier who died when the Nimrod crashed on 2 September.

His widow, Mrs Bell, and her two daughters each laid a single red rose on Flt Sgt Bell's coffin. The interment was held at Kinloss Abbey.

Speaking after the funeral, the RAF Kinloss station commander, Group Captain Jerry Kessell, said: "It is a very sad day for Moray but a particularly sad one for the family of Flt Sgt Gez Bell.

"They have lost a loved one who was dedicated to not only them but to all at the station, the air force and his country as well."

He added: "It has been a difficult time since the tragic events of 2 September but everybody on the station has pulled together."

Concerns about the safety of the RAF Nimrod fleet in the wake of the crash will be fully investigated, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has promised.