Funeral of former gangland enforcer Paul Ferris takes place in Glasgow

The funeral of former gangland enforcer Paul Ferris has taken place in Glasgow.

Ferris, who died earlier this month at the age of 62, was cleared of murdering the son of crime boss Arthur Thompson in 1992 after what was, at the time, the longest-running murder trial in Scottish legal history.

He was jailed for seven years in 1998 for gun-running but insisted he turned his back on crime after being released.

A piper led the funeral cortege as it entered Daldowie Crematorium on the outskirts of Glasgow.

Songs played during the ceremony included I Won't Back Down by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers and Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits.

Former world champion boxer Alex Arthur and actor Paul Brannigan were among the dozens of family and friends who attended the service.

Ferris was the author of three books - the first of which, The Ferris Conspiracy, was published in 2001.

It was later made into a 2013 film, The Wee Man, featuring Line of Duty star Martin Compston as Ferris.

Ferris worked for crime boss Arthur Thompson from the early 1980s.

Thompson, who had links with the Kray twins, was known in Glasgow's crime world as The Godfather.

Ferris was an enforcer in his gang and was feared for both threatening and carrying out violent attacks.

But their relationship ended in August 1991 when Arthur "Fat Boy" Thompson Jnr was shot dead outside the family's Provanmill home.

Ferris was arrested as the prime suspect in Thompson Jnr's murder but two others were also incriminated.

His friends Joe "Bananas" Hanlon and Bobby Glover did not live to stand trial.

On the day of Thompson Jnr's funeral both men were found shot dead in a car on the cortege route.

The murders remain unsolved.

The following year Ferris's trial became the longest and most expensive criminal case in Scottish legal history.

More than 300 witnesses gave evidence during the 54-day proceedings, which were estimated to have cost £4m.

The prosecution case relied heavily on the evidence of Dennis Woodman, who claimed Ferris had confessed to the killing while both men were being held in Barlinnie Prison.

Defence lawyers challenged the credibility of the evidence and argued the case against Ferris was deeply flawed.

After more than 24 hours of deliberations, the jury acquitted Ferris of murder and all other charges in 1992.

No-one has ever been convicted of Thompson Jnr's killing.