FOUR gentle giants led a horse-loving grandmother on her final journey yesterday.

A team of heavy horses carried Hilda Aspey, who died aged 57 last Sunday, to her resting place, in Shildon, County Durham, yesterday.

The horses, rarely seen in teams of four, led the cortege from St John's Church, in Shildon, to the town's West Road Cemetery.

Mrs Aspey's husband, David, 59, who used to run his own construction firm, said: "I wanted to organise something special and dignified, I think the heavy horses are fitting and a way of giving a good woman a special farewell."

He said his wife, who died of a seizure caused by a brain tumour, had treasured the couple's daughter Bridgett and late son David, who died in 1993, and loved spending time with her grandson Jordan.

He said: "She was always there for her family and friends, Hilda was a very kind woman.

"She was hard-working, as a cleaner supervisor at Shildon Civic Hall for 21 years, and as a mother and in the home and garden. When she found out she was poorly she was very brave."

From the early 1990s the couple, who were looking forward to celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary in December, have kept Clydesdale horses at their Newfield home.

They swept the board in heavy horse shows across Britain, including at the Royal Highlands Show in 1995, an achievement which has never been done before or since.