Fans, family and fellow stars have turned out to pay their respects to singer and TV presenter Cilla Black at her funeral in Liverpool.

Hundreds of people applauded and threw flowers as her funeral cortege made its way to St Mary's RC Church.

Sir Cliff Richard told mourners the journey to the church had made him realise "how much people loved her".

TV stars Paul O'Grady, Jimmy Tarbuck and Christopher Biggins joined her sons Robert and Ben in giving readings.Paul O'Grady said he used to joke with Cilla that she was

Sir Cliff performed the song Faithful One and told the congregation it seemed "outrageous" that she was gone.

He said: "The one thing that hit me originally was that she was a woman of commitment and dedication.

"She had the determination and above all she had the gift - she was able to do what she set out to do.

"My memories of Cilla are going to be very, very happy ones."

The funeral Mass was celebrated by the Right Reverend Thomas Williams, Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool.

Two of Black's sons also delivered readings. Robert Willis described his mother as a "wonderful lady who had touched all our lives and brought joy and laughter" to those she knew.

He said: "Her pure enthusiasm, self belief and wonderful sense of humour made being with her a joy and a pleasure."

Mr Willis added that she was a "trailblazer in the fields of music and television" and "set the bar high and it's still there".

His brother Ben Willis later spoke, saying his mother "was always young at heart".

He continued: "I think this was one of the reasons so many people loved her dearly. She loved being a star. She lived to entertain and make people happy."

Christopher Biggins delivered a Bible reading from the Book of Wisdom, Tarbuck read the Prayers of the Faithful and O'Grady gave a touching and humorous closing tribute.

"I firmly believed that Cilla was indestructible," O'Grady said. "I've got fabulous Cilla stories because we just had such a good time together. We just laughed constantly. We got into a lot of trouble, I'll admit, but we laughed while we were doing it.

"I loved this lady dearly. You've no idea. She was one of my closest friends and I absolutely adored her."

Black's 1964 hit Anyone Who Had A Heart was played during Holy Communion and her coffin left the church to the sound of The Long And Winding Road by her friends The Beatles.

Other guests included Andrew Lloyd Webber, Carol Vorderman and Sir Tom Jones.

Black died of a stroke after falling over at her Spanish home earlier this month at the age of 72.

Cilla Black was "a beautiful person", according to Liz Jones, who travelled from Birmingham to be outside the church. "Over the years she's always been very special to us," Mrs Jones said. "She's an ordinary person you could identify with."

Her sister Annie added: "I just had to be here. Nothing was going to stop me coming. She was from my era. She was a very ordinary person - you felt she was the same as yourself, but had made good."

Former Blind Date contestant Mark Finch, who made the trip from Scotland, said: 'What a lovely woman, an absolute pleasure to meet. I just think she's a woman who's put so much into music and show business and I just wanted to show my respects."

Eddie Lynch travelled from his home in Glasgow at 06:30. He said: "She was so beautiful and polished. I travelled all this way because I've always loved Cilla. I took the day off. A lot of people know I loved Cilla so I had to come. I think today will be very sad."