Thousands turn out for firefighter's funeral procession

Thousands of people gathered on Saturday morning to a firefighter who died alongside a colleague and a member of the public in a major blaze.

Jennie Logan, 30, died in the fire at the Bicester Motion site on 15 May alongside colleague Martyn Sadler, 38, and 57-year-old father-of-two Dave Chester.

A public procession started at 10:00 BST, with hundreds of firefighters and of the emergency services lining up along Queen's Avenue, where a minute's silence was held outside Bicester's fire station before a private funeral.

Crowds of people waited in silence for about 20 minutes ahead of the cortege's arrival to honour the firefighter, who lived in the town.

Two other firefighters were seriously injured in the incident, which is under investigation. One remains in hospital in a stable and improving condition, while the other has been discharged.

Paying tribute after the fire, Ms Logan's family said her "bravery and fearlessness shone through right until the end".

They added: "She will always be our hero and we are so immensely proud of her. Forever in our hearts."

Ms Logan's coffin, draped in the Union flag, was carried atop an aerial ladder platform fire engine.

Alongside firefighters, many of whom were in tears, of the Bicester Rugby Union Football Club lined the road waiting for Ms Logan, who played for its Bicester Vixens side.

Mr Sadler, who worked for the London Fire Brigade and was a retained firefighter for Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, was another member of the rugby club. It has raised more than £27,000 in their memory.

Firefighters around the country held their own silence, including in Southampton and London, which was organised by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU).

Ms Logan was the second female firefighter to die on duty in peacetime, after Fleur Lombard, 21, died in Bristol in 1996.

Friend Stuart Smith, also from Bicester, said Ms Logan was "strong, modest and reliable".

He told the BBC last month: "She was like, 'I'm going to the fire service.' She did it. 'I'm going to play rugby.' She did it. 'I'm going to get a motorbike and learn how to ride it.' She did it."

Mr Chester's family said he was "the most amazing man we will ever know", who said he "died the way he lived – helping others and putting them ahead of himself".

He ran his family company, Chester & Sons, at Bicester Motion and was well known by others on site.

It is home to more than 50 specialist businesses, focused on classic car restoration and engineering, and is located on the former RAF Bicester.

The fire was reported at about 18:30 on 15 May and rapidly spread through a former aircraft hangar at the site on Buckingham Road. A major incident was declared.

Ten fire and rescue crews were called to tackle the blaze as witnesses around Bicester reported seeing black smoke in the sky.

Following the fire, Bicester Town Council opened books of condolence, while church services and silences have also taken place over recent weeks.

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