HUNDREDS of mourners turned out to pay tribute to Dave Hopper, hailed as a “true working class hero” and stalwart of left-wing politics.

The funeral, held at Miners’ Hall in Durham, was attended by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, trade unionists and members of the Durham Miners’ Association, which was led by Mr Hopper for more than 30 years.

Mr Hopper, who spent so much of his time at the DMA’s headquarters in Red Hill, became its first member to have his funeral there.

Miners’ banners lined the driveway to the hall, while the association’s band played mourners in. The chamber was full, while many more remained outside to pay their respects.

The 73-year-old, who was a father, grandfather and great grandfather, died at his home in East Boldon, South Tyneside, on July 16 – just a week after celebrating what he had described as the “best ever” miners’ gala.

Among those to speak at the funeral was Mr Corbyn, who had shared a platform with him at the 132nd gala, which attracted more than 150,000 people.

Mr Corbyn said: “We are losing someone truly great.

“When the mines closed it would have been very easy for Davey Hopper and many other talented people to walk away and do something else but they didn’t. They stayed and they strengthened the union and they fought back.

“I learned a lot from knowing Davey Hopper. He gave me a lot of good advice. He recognised that when you take on a struggle you get a lot of pressure. When you get a lot of pressure, you can either retreat and run away, or you stand up.

“Davey Hopper never retreated, he never ran away.”

One of Mr Hopper's legacies will be the Miners' Gala, described as a "jewel in the British Labour movement", which went from attracting 30,000 people to 150,000 during his time in charge.

Mr Corbyn added: "Let's make sure next year's gala is even bigger and better."

Also to give eulogies were DMA president Alan Cummings, Geoff Shears, a trade union lawyer, and Alan Mardghum, who worked alongside Mr Hopper as a miner and succeeded him as lodge secretary at Wearmouth Colliery.

The humanist service was led by trade unionist and former Unison leader Rodney Bickerstaffe who described Mr Hopper as “a true working class hero.”

Mr Hopper was born on April 8, 1943, in a house opposite the gates of Wearmouth Colliery in Sunderland, where he started work at the age of 15.

In 1962 he married his wife Brenda and the couple were married until her death from cancer in 1997. They have four children, Gary, Deborah, Beverley and Jason.

During the 1970s he took increasing interest in the union and by 1982 was elected to the Area Executive Committee. The following year he was elected secretary of Wearmouth’s lodge, which was one of the first to go on strike in 1984.

When the strike, during he played a leading role, ended in 1985 he became secretary of the Durham Miners’ Association.

Mr Cummings said: “His style was straightforward, passionate and always from the heart.”

Mr Mardghum, who recalled Mr Hopper being left on the verge of breakdown during the strike, said: “Davey struggled, Davey fought, Davey fought against the grain time and time again.

“Davey was a man of great depth, of great vision. He was a very intelligent man and a man of principle.

“He was a man who was in the company of other giants.”

The service ended with a recording of Joe Hill, sung by Paul Robeson, and a rendition of The Red Flag.

The family requested that donations in Mr Hopper’s memory be given to the Friends of Durham Miners’ Gala.

Mr Hopper is survived by his wife Maria, four children, two stepchildren, eleven grandchildren and six great grandchildren.