PROMINENT figures from Merseyside’s football and business world were among the mourners who attended the funeral of late Liverpool Commercial District Partnership chief executive Paul Rice.

Liverpool FC managing director Ian Ayre, Liverpool City Council leader Cllr Joe Anderson and former leader Cllr Warren Bradley were present at the city’s Metropolitan Cathedral.

Also in attendance at yesterday afternoon’s requiem mass were the head of Liverpool Vision Max Steinberg, the chief executive of the Chamber of Commerce, Jack Stopforth and several hundred of Mr Rice’s family and friends.

In a moving 10-minute eulogy, Peter Rice explained that his brother’s “lasting legacy to the city of Liverpool” was successfully campaigning for a yes vote in the ballot last year to achieve Business Improvement District status for the commercial district.

He called the success his brother’s “single greatest achievement”.

The gathering was told that the two brothers would regularly meet up on rallies as representatives of the Broadgreen Labour Party and its Garston counterpart.

Mr Rice’s political past included going to marches in St Helens and Warrington during the miners’ strike.

He was the manager of Warrington town centre and helped redesign the public spaces in the aftermath of the IRA bombing of the town.