Moore buried in private funeral

Dudley Moore was awarded a CBE last November

The funeral of British comedian Dudley Moore has been held near his home in the US.

Friends and family said goodbye to the star at a private ceremony in the town of Watchung, New Jersey.

About 30 mourners, including Moore's second wife Tuesday Weld, attended the hour-long service as a heavy police presence kept members of the press and public at a distance.

Moore died last week aged 66, having suffered from the rare degenerative brain condition progressive supranuclear palsy for several years.

'Trapped'

A cortege of cars took Moore's body to a local funeral home, before he was buried a short time later at a nearby cemetery.

Moore was famed for his work with Peter Cook

Yellow and black flowers arranged in the shape of a keyboard were among the tributes - a reference to Moore's love of playing the piano and his great musical talent.

The actor revealed his illness to the public in 1999, following claims his slurred speech and impaired work were connected to drug use.

He said: "I am trapped in this body and there is nothing I can do about it."

Moore, a father-of-two, had four turbulent marriages - all of which ended in divorce.

'Lovely man'

Following his death friends and colleagues remembered Moore fondly.

Chat show host Michael Parkinson remembered the comedian as "a superb musician, a bloody good comedian and a lovely man".

Liza Minnelli, Moore's co-star in the hit movie Arthur, said: "He was a wonderful man. He was funny and dear and supportive and hilarious and he was one of my heroes."

Jazz singer Dame Cleo Laine, who knew the comedian, actor and musician for almost 40 years, said: "In lots of ways it's a release for him. He had to be fed and washed and looked after like a baby."