Community gathers for funeral of beloved Newport man

Tank Oo, whose real name was Tyrone David Nurden, was just 36 when he died in a crash on March 20 on Usk Road. 

Tank was a beloved member of the community, who seemed to be known far and wide if the sheer number of people who turned up to pay their respects was anything to go by.

Tank Oo was beloved by thousands in the community (Image: Family photo)Thousands of people were seen crowding Chepstow Road and Hawthorne Avenue as they awaited the procession's arrival. 

It is estimated there were around 3,000 people in attendance for a man who was beloved by so many. 

In beautiful sunshine, the funeral procession travelled along Malpas Road at just before 11.15am, consisting of one hearse and two limousines.

Upon stopping at Empress Cars on Chepstow Road, the coffin was transferred into a beautiful carriage drawn by four horses. 

The coffin was pulled by a horse-drawn carriage as it made its way to the church (Image: Newsquest)The procession was led by a group of Tank's friends on motorbikes, including scramblers, who kept revving their engines as they made their way to St John's Church in Maindee for a lovely service at 1pm. 

A number of classic cars, even including a Cadillac and American police cars, were part of the procession, as well as cars that were emblazoned with pictures of Tank.  

Among the group of around 30 strong motorcyclists were close friends whose number plates included heartfelt tributes to their friend, emblazoned in gold that glittered in the mid-April sun. 

Dozens of friends turned up on their bikes to lead the procession with their number plates emblazoned in memory of Tank (Image: Newsquest)Tank's impact on the community was overwhelming obvious as mourners lined the streets on the way up to St John's Church, and covered the pathway leading up to the church's entrance. 

As the procession reached its destination, a thunderous round of applause for Tank erupted, supplemented by drivers of cars that passed by tooting their respect for a  man that had clearly given so much to his community. 

Thousands of people lined the streets as the procession made its way to the church, and as it made its way to the cemetery (Image: Newsquest)The road leading up to the church was blocked off as the hundreds of people in attendance paid their final respects to a man who was loved dearly by all who knew him. 

Following the service, the procession was again led out by the group of motorcyclists, who let out some amazing blue smoke in memory of their friend, with the lines of mourners stretching back all the way to Usk Bridge as people paid their respects. 

The procession headed towards St Woolos Cemetery, where a burial took place before a wake at Rodney Parade.