School, college friends and members of sports clubs were among the mourners at today's church service for the 24-year-old soldier killed by Russian Special Forces in the Ukraine.

Jordan Gatley, who rose to the rank of Lance Corporal in the Rifle Regiment, had a big circle of friends and was a popular person both before and after he joined the army.

St Mary's Church in Nantwich was packed for the funeral service today (Monday) of Jordan who died in June "doing a job he loved" killed by the Russian Special Forces in the war against the Ukraine.

Jordan's funeral service today (Monday) in Nantwich

Jordan's father, Dean Gatley, told how it had taken several weeks to get his late son's body home and had been a "complicated" process.

Friends, colleagues and family listened to the series of tributes read out during the moving funeral service describing how Jordan was "the best soldier you could ever meet".

School friends, Jacob Booth and Nathan Eeles, both aged 24, who knew Jordan from his days as a pupil at Sandbach School, were there to pay their respects.

Nathan said: "It's an incredibly sad day. I hadn't seen him for a while but I wish I had been in touch with him a bit more.

Jordan Gatley

"He hadn't changed much by the sound of it. He was a great person."

After leaving Sandbach School, Jordan then went on to study at Reaseheath College, Nantwich and there were former students at his funeral from the college.

Photo: Sandbach School where Jordan was a pupil

Chris and Terry Bloor from Crewe and Nantwich Canoe Club, were also there today to pay their respects to the much-loved soldier.

Terry said: "My son, Chris, taught Jordan to canoe and we knew both him and his dad Dean. He was a great person."