WARM tributes were paid to an author described as ‘a Yorkshireman to the end’ whose writing inspired the popular television series Heartbeat.

It was standing room only at the funeral of Peter Walker at Our Lady and St Benedicts Church in Ampleforth on Friday, where upwards of 140 friends and family gathered to pay their respects.

Indeed, so many attended the funeral that some had to watch the service in the church hall where it was relayed via a television screen.

Father Bede Leech described Mr Walker as a popular character in the community, saying that he had a nose for the truth and ‘a heart that beat for the truth, lovingly, self sacrificially’.

Mr Walker, who often wrote under the name Nicholas Rhea, penned more than 130 books but it is his Constable series, inspired by his own experiences as a North Yorkshire bobby, that made his name synonymous with the popular Heartbeat drama series.

In a moving tribute, one of Mr Walker’s three daughters, Tricia, described her father as a kind and generous man, with a ‘Victor Meldrew’-esque dislike of caravans.

She said that he took the attention he received following the success of the Heartbeat series in his stride, adding that many of the often comic capers in his books were based on true experiences during his 25-years with the police force.

Ms Walker said that her mother, Rhoda, was ‘top of Mr Walker’s list’ of important things in his life, closely followed by his children and grandchildren.

“He absolutely loved hearing all the wonderful things we got up to,” she said.

“He was an immensely proud family man.”

Ms Walker added that her father was a Yorkshireman to the end and loved his home county with a passion.

Mr Walker first started out as a constable in Whitby in 1956 after two years national service based in Northumberland.

It was there where he first met Rhoda whom he would go on to marry in 1959.

After making the rank of inspector, Mr Walker led the police press office in Northallerton before retiring to concentrate on writing.

He lived with Rhoda in Ampleforth for the last 50-years and penned the books that went on to sell around the world.

Mr Walker died on April 21 after the cancer he was first diagnosed with a decade-ago returned.

He spent his final days at home surrounded by his family.

As well as Rhoda and Tricia, Mr Walker leaves behind daughters Janet and Sarah, son Andrew and eight grandchildren.