Hundreds of travellers from across the country braved icy winds and snow to pay their respects today to a man who died in police custody.

The small town of Stockton, Teesside, was at a standstill as a procession of mourners made their way to the funeral of 33-year-old Patrick Lowther.

The Police Complaints Authority is currently investigating his death after he was arrested last November by North Yorkshire Police in Thorpe Willoughby on suspicion of drink-driving. Mr Lowther lost consciousness in the back of a police van while being transported to York and died eight weeks later in North Tees General Hospital.

Cleveland Police officers today kept a low profile and managed the traffic flow in Stockton from St Patrick's Church through the town centre to Oxbridge Cemetery for the burial this morning.

Pc Rob King said: ''The arrangements have gone smoothly and there was no cause for concern.

''We were concerned with complying with the wishes of the family so that everything went smoothly.

''We have been as sensitive as we would be for any other funeral and there was not a high profile police presence, we were just helping traffic control.''

The cortege was followed by hundreds of people, including members of Mr Lowther's family in three large black Daimlers, which followed the hearse, which was decorated with floral tributes, one which read simply ''Paddy''.

More flowers were arranged on flatbed trucks which followed the family mourners and hundreds of others people braved the icy conditions at the funeral.

A post-mortem examination was carried out into the death of Mr Lowther, who died on January 10, and the cause of death was found to be pneumonia, a North Yorkshire Police spokesman said.

Although he spent eight weeks in hospital, technically Mr Lowther died in police custody and the force voluntarily referred the incident to the PCA. .