MOURNERS attending the funeral of former MP Roland Boyes heard yesterday how research into the disease which claimed his life is now to be centred in the North-East.

Mr Boyes, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's 11 years ago, had used the time he had left to raise £40,000 to create an imaging room at Newcastle General Hospital for the treatment of other sufferers.

Yesterday, at his funeral service at St Cuthbert's Church, in Peterlee, County Durham, it was revealed that following on the success of Roland's Room, regional development agency One NorthEast has agreed to provide funding for a new centre at the hospital.

The facility will spearhead research into the disease in the UK.

A packed church heard how the former Euro MP and parliamentary member for Houghton and Washington East, who died at his home in Peterlee aged 69, had fought a long battle against Alzheimer's nursed by his wife, Pat, and sons, David and Paul.

Conducting the funeral service, Canon Keith Woodhouse said: "Roland achieved so much in his life, but one of his lasting legacies will be his input into the foundation of the imaging room and this follow-up research centre."

His son, David, told the congregation: "Even though my father was a fiercely proud Yorkshireman, his affinity with the North-East helped shape his whole political outlook.

"He was first and foremost a man of the people and stood on the picket lines with the miners and always fought for the underdog."

His younger son, Paul, spoke of his father's love of sport: "He was chairman of Durham County Cricket Club and had a passionate affinity for his beloved Hartlepool United, where he was vice-chairman and a director," he said.

Born in Holmfirth, Mr Boyes studied chemistry at Leicester University, moving on to teacher training at Coventry Training College.

Later, with a degree in economics and a Masters' degree in education, Mr Boyes took up a post at Durham County Council's social services department, rising to assistant director.

A life-long member of the Labour Party, he had also served first on Peterlee Town Council and Easington District Council, and then became Durham's first Euro MP before securing the Houghton and Washington parliamentary seat.

Among those who attended the funeral were Lord Foster, the former Labour Party Chief Whip, Alan Milburn, Darlington MP and former Secretary of State for Health, Easington's MP John Cummings, Chris Mullen, MP for Sunderland South and Newcastle MPs Dave Clelland and Doug Henderson.

Also among the mourners were Mr Boyes' successor on Wearside, Fraser Kemp, and former Gateshead and Washington West MP Joyce Quin, who were joined by the regional director of the Labour Party Fiona Twycross.

Representing Peterlee and Easington councils were councillors Robert Kyle and Charles Walker.

After the service, Mrs Boyes said that following a period of quiet, she would be continuing her late husband's determined campaign to help battle the debilitating Alzheimer's disease.