Final salute to 'Major General' Barry Nuttall, one of Hull's most colourful characters

They called it the Battle of Melbourne Grove.

For more than a month, self-styled "Major General" Barry Nuttall and his troops famously held firm against Hull City Council and its bulldozers.

Even when his old terrace house was finally demolished, Barry and his supporters created a makeshift camp using rubble from his old home, manned the barricades and lived there for the next three years.

Today, the last post will sound for one of Hull's most colourful characters, who has died from heart failure aged 62.

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Mr Nuttall hit the national headlines in 1983 during the campaign to save his demolition-threatened house off Derringham Street, west Hull.

A former garage mechanic, he had turned his love of restoring old military vehicles into a full-blown passion by forming his own re-enactment group, the Northern Allied-Axis Society.

Before long, Barry's band of like-minded brothers were pitting their wits against the massed ranks of council officials, bailiffs and the police.

He refused to budge until he got a satisfactory offer for his property.

In turn, the council refused to meet his asking price.

Eventually, a compulsory purchase order was fired off and the bulldozers moved in.

But Barry's army only retreated as far as nearby Wyndham Street, setting up another makeshift camp.

Gifts of flowers, chocolates and cards from well-wishers arrived daily as Barry dug in.

He only left his base to present a protest petition at the House of Commons and to marry his second wife Alyson, wearing a special American general's uniform for the occasion.

Spending their early married life under canvas, he claimed his secret weapon in his war against the authorities was her homemade rock buns.

She recalled: "It was a very special day, even if we were living in the campsite at the time.

"Joe Longthorne even loaned us his Cadillac to take us to the church."

Mr Nuttall, who had nine children, met his own Dunkirk when he was finally evicted.

A factory unit now stands on the spot of his last stand.

Mrs Nuttall said: "I will never forget those days with Barry in Melbourne Grove and Wyndham Street.

"He was just standing up for what he believed in."

In 1991, Mr Nuttall was made an honorary life member of the Hull branch of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers to mark his charity work, keeping the plaque next to his portrait of the Queen.

At the time, he told the Mail: "That means more to me than anything. I think people realise now that we are not just a bunch of nutcases playing at toy soldiers."

He said the battle to save his old home had been serious..

"It was a fight for the small man, a battle to protect the right for an Englishman to defend his castle," he added.

His funeral service was taking place today at Chanterlands Crematorium followed by a burial at Priory Woods cemetery near Cottingham.