Memorial service for Carol Barnes

Carol Barnes was a familiar face to ITV news viewers

A memorial service in honour of former ITV newsreader Carol Barnes has taken place in Brighton.

The former News At Ten presenter died aged 63 on 8 March, days after suffering a stroke.

Former colleagues Dermot Murnaghan and Martyn Lewis joined Ms Barnes' relatives at the memorial service at the city's Grand Hotel.

Her former partner, Denis MacShane, said: "There was no bling, bling, no celeb about her."

A montage of pictures was on show featuring Ms Barnes both at work and with her family.

For some the world will never be the same again Order of service

Images included her speaking to the Queen and shots of Ms Barnes with son James and her daughter Clare.

The former newsreader was described in the order of service as "in her prime; happy, bubbly and optimistic as she always was, and for this at least we are thankful".

It continued: "Her honest and caring way will be greatly missed by many, but for some the world will never be the same again."

Other guests included Ms Barnes' son James, her ex-husband Nigel Thompson and actors Chris Ellison and Carol Cleveland.

A candle was lit at the start of the service before Mr MacShane spoke to a packed room of the "seven ages of Carol".

Denis MacShane paid tribute to Ms Barnes during the service

He paid tribute to her as a journalist, as a radical intellectual and as a fantastic mother and friend.

He said: "It was the niceness of Carol that we all loved but there was something much more cutting edge about her.

"She went straight to the heart of the story. She could do the links, do the interviews and do them all brilliantly well.

"You didn't see her as a personality. There was no bling, bling, no celeb about her, just a huge warmth and respect."

He added: "She was full of life, full of stories and full of the future.

"I hope today we think of her in terms of love and of laughter."

'Somebody special'

Ms Barnes' son James paid tribute to her as a "quintessential mum".

He said: "I realised after talking to so many of her friends and colleagues over the past few weeks that this was not just my mum, but this was Carol as she was to the world, who cared and fought for so many others, and this was no doubt somebody so special."

And he said: "She did everything she could for herself and others, the extent of which is more than evident to all those that knew her."

His voice breaking with emotion, he concluded: "I will miss her until I die and until then all I can say is: 'I love you mum'."

Newsreader Jon Snow paid tribute to a "lovely, lovely friend"

ITN's former editor-in-chief Sir David Nicholas said Barnes' popular appeal stemmed from her combination of "authority, warmth, humour and humanity".

He introduced a five-minute film containing tributes from her colleagues and some of her most memorable moments as a television journalist.

One famous clip showed her briskly walking beside a young Princess Diana in the street as she tried to question her over her love life. Another featured her reporting on a bread strike with what was described as an "upper crust" accent.

Ex-colleagues such as Nicholas Owen, Alastair Stewart, Jon Snow and Sir David heaped praise and recounted anecdotes about Barnes in the film.

Later, Mr Snow made the final speech in which he said "she was just simply one of us", a "lovely, lovely friend".

Ms Barnes, who was a familiar face on television for three decades, lived in Brighton and died at the city's Royal Sussex County Hospital.

She joined ITN in 1976 as a reporter and later became a news anchor, presenting all the main ITN programmes.