MORE than 500 mourners packed Preston Minster on Monday for the funeral of Brian Booth, chairman of Lancashire teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, who died suddenly last week at his Fulwood home.

At the Royal Preston Hospital hundreds of people lined the streets to pay their final respects as the funeral cortege passed en route to the church for a special service of thanksgiving.

During the service Mr Booth, who was born and raised in Holme Slack, was described as an "extraordinary man" who dedicated his life to helping others.

He joined the former Lancashire Polytechnic, as head of business and management in 1974, and became chief executive in 1989. He helped it become a university in 1992 before retiring six years later.

In 1997 he became chairman of the hospital trust and was a key player in it gaining teaching status in August 2002, and a three star rating last year.

Having a strong interest in crime prevention Mr Booth was the director of the Lancashire Partnership Against Crime for six years and a magistrate for 15 years.

As a life-long PNE fan, he played a major role in the establishment of the National Football Museum, first as a trustee in 1995 and chairman six years later.

He was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Lancashire in 2002 and awarded an OBE in this year's Queen's birthday honours list for services to his local community.

Tony Curtis, chief executive of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust, said: "He would set himself enormous challenges and wouldn't stop till he succeeded and achieved his goals.

"The service was a tremendous and deserved tribute to Brian and it was clear from the large number of people who turned up to pay their respects that he was a much loved and admired man."

During the service Reverend John Bolton described him as "a proper Prestonian" and "the kindest and most sincere individual I have ever known, whose sole intent was to make the world a better place."

Mr Booth died of of a heart attack on October 24. He leaves a wife, Barbara, two children and two grandchildren.