THE funeral of a RAF bomb disposal expert will take place in Bury on Friday.

Junior Technician Rick Borland was found dead in his barrack room in Gibraltar on November 1, although two post mortems have been unable to establish why he collapsed and died. His body was flown back to Manchester on Thursday.

His father, Mr Peter Borland, of Holbeach Close, Brandlesholme, said his son's friends and colleagues from the RAF would act as pall bearers. The coffin would be draped with the Union flag at the funeral at noon at Bury Parish Church, followed by committal at Overdale Crematorium at 1.30pm.

Rick is a former pupil of Woodbank County Primary and Bury Church of England High schools. He joined the RAF in October, 1995, and worked with 2 Tornado Squadron in Kuwait at the start of the current Gulf War.

He was a keen mountaineer and adventure sports enthusiast. He had been posted to Gibraltar to deal with bomb and ordnance disposal.

A wake will be held on Friday afternoon at the Garsdale pub in Woodhill Road, Brandlesholme.

His family have asked that donations in lieu of flowers be made to the Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team.