Having worked as a real life Postman Pat for 33 years, there was no better way to send-off retired postman Pat Hayne than with a mail van and the Postman Pat theme song at his funeral.

Mr Hayne also organised sports tournaments between offices and his family decided the familiar theme tune music was the perfect way to remember him.

A mail van met the funeral cortege at the crematorium gates to transport Mr Hayne’s coffin.

Born in April 1930, Mr Hayne grew up with his older siblings Roy, Mary and Bernard and younger brother Michael in Exmouth.

As a young man he did his two years National Service, and his family said he was always proud to say he had been to Hong Kong harbour and other countries.

His first job was as a baker and in 1951 he met his future wife Elsie at a fairground. They were married two years later and had a daughter, Carole, a year afterwards.

After several job changes, including working as a fireman on Great Western trains, Mr Hayne settled on becoming a postman and moved to Margate in the early 1960s.

His wife’s family had moved to Ramsgate in 1961 and the family reunited in Thanet.

Mr Hayne enjoyed taking holidays and gardening in his spare time.

He was the manager of the Post Office football team and would organise tournaments, but his love was always with West Ham, whose games he followed avidly.

Pat was also committee member of the South East Post Office Association.

He retired in 1995, but sadly in 2002 he suffered a stroke, which affected his speech and mobility.

The couple downsized to a ground floor flat and in 2014, moved to Spencer House in Birchington, where they were cared for.

Mr Hayne and his wife became great-grandparents in recent years.

His family decided to honour his career at his funeral.

Daughter Carole said: “The undertakers had never done anything like this.

“Dad was a postman for so long and he was the original Postman Pat so the music was played.

“Dad would have been amused with the mail van, his ashes have been put in the Garden of Rest in a casket resembling a mini post box.

“The family would like to thank Spencer House for the care they gave Pat and to Gore Brothers for their support in arranging this celebration of Pat’s life.”