MOURNERS yesterday paid their last respects to a colourful character - saying goodbye to drag artist Jason Massiey.

More than 100 people stood outside St Sannan's Church, Bedwellty, for the funeral of Mr Massiey, 32, from Markham.

Police community support oficers were drafted in to help with the large volume of traffic.

Mr Massiey, who was known as Lady Ding when he performed in the pubs and clubs of Cardiff, was found dead in Pen-y-Fan Pond, Manmoel at 6.20am on August 10.

His family said he had been suffering from depression following the death of his parents and sister-in-law in the last few years. Police are not treating his death as suspicious and an inquest will be held later this year.

Mr Massiey's large family and wide circle of friends lined the streets outside his home on John Street yesterday to say their final farewells to a man described by his family as the life and soul of any party.

They had covered his front garden completely with wreaths and floral arrangements.

Described as a Judy Garland and Bette Davis fan, Mr Massiey went on his last journey in an Edwardian hearse pulled by two Dutch horses which made its way to St Sannan Church, Bedwellty, followed by mourners on foot.

His nephews acted as pallbearers. The funeral service was conducted by the Reverend Keith Hemmings and included a performance of Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Mr Massiey's friend Ria Jones, a West End performer.

Another close friend of Mr Massiey, fellow drag queen Ceri Dupree, also spoke during the service.

He said: "Well accustomed as I am to speaking in front of people, it is usually on a stage in the realms of fantasy, for a performance is not real and how I wish this was not real but it is only too real."

But Mr Dupree also remembered the good times they had together - like the time they travelled to London to watch Joan Collins in a play. Afterwards, Mr Dupree said, they went to pricey store Harvey Nicholls where they were selling Sea Breeze cocktails for £7. Mr Dupree said: "Jason had six and his bill with food came to £65.

"He handed the waitress £70 and she brought him his £5 in change back and he said 'Keep it love, I stepped on a grape on the way'." TV presenter Stifyn Parri was also among the mourners. Mr Massiey was buried at Bedwellty Cemetery with his mother, Lil Chamberlain.