A FLEET of black Rolls Royces made their way through the town in a procession in memory of a popular dad-of-two.

Hamesh Patel was just 44 when he died in hospital from pneumonia on Good Friday.

Tributes had been paid to the businessman, who owned @M.Y Convenience in East Street with his dad Bhaskar Patel.

The Hindu funeral was held on Friday, starting with a private family service.

A trail of cars then made its way from Lexden Road to Southway, through the High Street to East Hill and then to Eastgate.

Hamesh was born in Berkshire but moved to Colchester with his parents aged five.

He attended Colchester High School and then Colchester Sixth Form College.

He obtained an IT degree from university in Middlesbrough. He later opened a computer games shop in Red Lion Yard, Colchester, before closing it to run two newsagents - Sweet News - with his family in High Street and Queen Street.

After selling these, the family took on @ M.Y. Convenience where Hamesh was well known by his customers.

Jiger Patel, Hamesh's brother, said he wanted to take Hamesh for one last tour of the town.

He said: "We had an Indian ceremony at Hamesh's house. He grew up in Colchester and was a real Colcestrian.

"There are lots of parts of this town that have memories of him and we wanted to take him on his final tour.

"It's a bitter sweet thing but it's what he would have wanted."

READ MORE: FAMILY TRIBUTE OUTGOING DAD HAMESH AFTER SUDDEN DEATH