A FUNERAL celebrating the life of Riccall builder Tommy Thompson could be held next week as his family hopes to fly his body home over the coming days.

A second post mortem to establish the cause of his death was due to take place yesterday - two weeks after the 59-year-old's body was uncovered in a shallow woodland grave in Ireland.

Gardai launched a murder investigation following the discovery in County Laois, nine months after the father-of-five disappeared.

He had been working in Ireland for eight years, but visited his family in Riccall regularly and stayed in constant phone contact.

After a fortnight together over Easter in 2007, all phone contact ended after his return to Ireland.

His widow Sandra, 50, and their daughters Jane, 27,and Vicky, 19, are desperate to bring his body home and grieve properly.

But they do not intend to sever their links with Ireland - the family wants to replace a cross placed at the site where Mr Thompson was found with a permanent fixture and plant a tree alongside it.

  • For more details see The Press today.