Television news presenters gather to say goodbye to much-loved former colleague Carol Barnes
Much-loved: Family and close friends arrived in Brighton today to pay tribute to news presenter Carol Barnes
Former colleagues Dermot Murnaghan, Alastair Stewart and Mark Webster gathered alongside close family and friends for the funeral near Barnes's home in Brighton, East Sussex.
Other mourners at the private service included her son James, who paid tribute to his mother shortly after her death as a "beautiful, kind and delicate" person.
Barnes, a familiar face on TV screens for 30 years, died at the age of 63 at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton earlier this month, days after suffering a massive stroke.
She began her working life as a teacher, before joining ITN as a reporter in 1976 and going on to anchor all the broadcaster's main news programmes, including the flagship News at Ten bulletin for a number of years.
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Sombre: Former colleagues Dermot Murnaghan, Alastair Stewart and Mark Webster gathered alongside close family and friends for the funeral near Barnes's home in East Sussex
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Farewell: New presenters gathered in Brighton today at the funeral of Carol Barnes to bid the former ITV news presenter, who died of a stroke earlier this month, farewell
Barnes had a long relationship with former Government Minister Denis MacShane, with whom she had a daughter, Clare.
She went on to marry ITN cameraman Nigel Thompson and the couple had a son, James.
Tragedy struck in March 2004 when Clare was killed in a skydiving accident in Australia, leaving the family devastated.
A statement released yesterday by her agents Knight Ayton Management said a memorial for Carol Barnes would be held on March 29 in Brighton.
In mourning: BBC1 Breakfast news presenter Nicholas Owen and her son James Barnes
