A GRIEVING young widow paid a moving tribute to her "perfect husband and daddy in a million" who lost his life when an RAF reconaissance aircraft crashed in Afghanistan.

Father of two, Flight Lieutenant Leigh Mitchelmore, 28, was one of 14 British servicemen who died when the Nimrod crashed on Saturday September 2.

He grew up in Christchurch, studied at Highcliffe School, had been a keen member of Christchurch Seagulls Swimming Club and of Barton-on-Sea Golf Club.

At his funeral service in Christchurch Priory yesterday his widow Claire told the 450 friends, family and RAF officers who packed the church that she and Leigh "had become an item on January 3 2000".

"For me it was love at first sight. Not only was Leigh tall, dark and intelligent but he was also a real gentleman," she said.

He was studying law at the time, but 10 months later decided to join the RAF.

The couple had two children: Faye, who is now three years old, and Hayden, who is six months old.

"Leigh was an amazing husband and daddy and always got his priorities right. His family always came first," she said.

Among the mourners was Wing Commander Martin Kennard, commander of 120 Squadron at the time of the crash.

Flight Lieutenant Mitchelmore's coffin arrived at the Priory draped in a Union Flag.

Nine uniformed officers were there to meet it.

Six pall bearers eased it from the hearse and carried it gently into the church for the hour-long service, conducted by RAF Chaplain Rev Graham Collingwood, a neighbour of the Mitchelmores, who had made their home in Elgin, Scotland, near the RAF Kinloss base.

At noon the coffin was taken from the church for the undressing ceremony, in which the wreaths, a ceremonial sword and the officer's cap were removed from it, and the flag folded and presented with the cap to Mrs Mitchelmore.

The moving ceremony was concluded when The Last Post was played by Matt Warman of the RAF Band, RAF Halton.

As the last notes died away on the breeze, the drone of an RAF Nimrod aircraft could be heard. Seconds later it passed overhead in a 1,000ft flypast in tribute to Flight Lieutenant Mitchelmore.

His body was later interred at a private burial.