An appeal for mourners to attend the funeral of a 90-year-old Royal Marine veteran from Newtown was a success.

Hundreds of people attended the funeral of David McLaren Kerr, who had no living family members, after thousands of people shared an appeal on social media.

More than 200 people, including serving and former servicemen and women, paid their respects to the former Royal Marine at Emstrey Crematorium in Shrewsbury on Tuesday.

Mr Kerr was married to the late Nancy who died in 2010 and survived his only child, Maryanne, who sadly passed away in 2013.

He was 19-years-old when he joined the Royal Marines and served for 22 years. After leaving military service he retrained as a psychiatric nurse. He was also fluent in Russian and German

Mr Kerr died at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital on September 7 and he had been a resident at Plas Cae Crwn care home in Newtown.

An appeal made by the funeral directors was shared thousands of times on social media following concerns that only a handful of people, including representatives from the care home, would attend the funeral because Mr Kerr had no surviving relatives.

Richard Parkes of Newtown-based Leach & Son, said he was a “very nice gentleman who was very proud of his military service”.

“We were under the impression that one or two people will be at the service because he had no near family or next of kin.

Mr Parkes contacted the local branch of the Royal British Legion and as a result of the appeal several people from Newtown attended the funeral.

“It’s nice to know that some military people will be there for his final journey. He would have been very proud. He believed in the family of the military.”

Plas Cae Crwn will hold a memorial service in the coming weeks when the ashes of Mr Kerr and of his late wife will be laid to rest.

Mr Kerr had the ashes of his wife with him and he’s asked to be laid to rest with her.

Helen Griffith, General Manager at Plas Cae Crwn, said: “Mr Kerr was a humble man and a true gentleman, he’d always open the door for you and offer you his seat – despite him being in his 90s. He didn’t speak too much about his time in the Royal Marines but it was clear how proud he was to have served his country.

“Mr Kerr will be greatly missed by all the team at the home.”