TEARS of sadness were lost among the rain as Earby came to a standstill for its fallen hero soldier today.

The heavens opened for the full military funeral of Lance Corporal Jordan Bancroft at All Saints Church, Earby, on Friday, almost three weeks since he died in a gunfight on a security operation in Afghanistan.

The 1st Battalion Duke of Lancaster Regiment soldier was given an emotional send-off from a church packed full of 300 family and friends and hundreds more watching on a big screen outside.

Shops were closed, pupils left their desks and lined the streets alongside residents young and old to watch the final journey of the 25-year-old.

A crowd stood behind floral displays spelling out ‘Boyfriend, Friend, Hero’, standard-bearers lowered their flags and an armed guard lined the path in salute to their comrade.

Parents Tony and Sheila, brothers Paul and Leighton, sister Toni and girlfriend Lauren followed the Union Jack-draped coffin carried by their son’s fellow soldiers.

Ahead of the 11am service, Colonel Gary Deakin of the Duke of Lancaster Regiment, said L/Cpl Bancroft’s death was ‘a tragedy’, but that he had died ‘doing what he loved with his mates’.

He said: “He was a fantastic soldier, a first class soldier.

"I remember a soldier who always smiled, had a sense of adventure, was a real team player, was loved by all his family and friends and all the boys looked up to him.

"He was hugely respected around the regiment.”

Commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Kennedy, spoke during the service about a soldier with a ‘zest for life’, known in the force as ‘Banky’ or ‘J’ and who spent nine years in the Army serving in Canada, Cyprus, Germany, UK, Iraq twice and Afghanistan.

He said: “He was full of life and rightly self-confident in his ability.

"He was one of the biggest characters in the Battalion.

“He possessed loyalty in spades. He was the epitome of a leader, calm under pressure, courageous, diligent, selfless, caring.

"And all of this with his infectious sense of humour and a smile never far from his lips.

“He was the Lance Corporal who could always be trusted. The man who always delivered.

“The author Mark Twain wrote: ‘The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time’.

“There are far too few like him. The world is a little less bright, a little less complete. England has lost one of her Lions.”

Dad Tony told the congregation Jordan was going to propopse to Lauren after his tour.

He said: "Not only has Jordan been robbed of life itself, but also robbed of giving life.

"Jordan would have made a fantastic father to some fantastic children.

“Jordan, you’ll always be our super, super hero. Rest in peace son.”

Girlfriend Lauren recalled being ‘captured by his confidence, his energy, that dazzling smile and his dimples’ after they first met in February 2008, when she was 18 and he was 22.

“I knew instantly he was different to anyone I’d ever met before.

“Although I only got a fraction of the time I wanted with Jordan, I’ve got precious memories which I’ll treasure forever.”

“Jordan used to say we were like two jigsaw pieces that fitted together and I couldn’t believe how happy I was.

"When I think of the future it has no colour to it, he brightened up every room he walked into.”

Younger brother Leighton, 23, described his ‘Big bro’ as ‘the perfect role model’ and recalled childhood adventures which choked him to tears.

“He liked me to look up to him and look up to him I did.

“He paid the biggest sacrifice of all protecting the people he loved, most of those he had never met.

“I wish he was still here.”

Close family then went to Salterforth Cemetery to lay L/Cpl Bancroft to rest with the backdrop of a three volley salute and The Last Post.