THE funeral of a former club singer who died after falling into a canal while on holiday is being held at 10.15am on Thursday.

Family and friends will gather to pay their respects to 51-year-old Stephen Walton, of Leadgate, near Consett, in County Durham, at Mountsett Crematorium in Dipton.

He drowned in the early hours of October 3 in the resort of Alcudia on the holiday island of Majorca.

Mr Walton’s body was flown home on Thursday and an inquest was opened by the County Durham coroner today (Monday, October 22). His parents have requested family flowers only with donations to be made to the Great North Air Ambulance.