A brutal killer ended a good life of 86 years with a single barbaric act when he stabbed a sprightly widow to death in her own home.

Mintlyn Crematorium, on the outskirts of King's Lynn, was packed for the funeral of Una Crown yesterday - six weeks after her body was found at her bungalow in Magazine Lane, Wisbech.

The service was conducted by Rev Ryk Parkinson, priest at Wisbech St Mary, who knew Mrs Crown and members of her family.

'As we mark Una's passing let us also remember all that she meant, all the blessings that have been received through her and give thanks for all that was good in her life,' he said.

Revd Parkinson said Una's life had been 86 years of good, which had been brought to an end by a single act of barbarity.

After the service, he said: 'There are two ways of mourning. One is to drop into the depths of despair, the other is to celebrate the good in their lives.'

Earlier Mrs Crown's younger brother Terry White, 75, of Trumpington, near Cambridge told the BBC the funeral had been delayed pending completion of two autopsies.

'We had to hang around until the police released her body,' he said. 'Two autopsies took place and they have now given us the OK. We were interested to know if she was dead before she was actually burnt.

'Apparently she was since the second autopsy revealed no smoke in her lungs. It makes you feel a bit better but it was still an awful way to go.'

Mr White said he spoke most weeks to Mrs Crown by phone and would often meet her for birthdays or family occasions.

'We used to be in contact on a Monday and phoned each other to check what happened at the weekend,' he said.

He said on the Sunday in January when her body was discovered at her Magazine Lane home was a day he would not forget.

'My niece Judith had gone round to pick her up and take her out for lunch,' he said. 'She hadn't got a key but sensed something was wrong.'

Police were called when Una failed to respond and officers then went into the bungalow with a key borrowed from a neighbour.

'They wouldn't let Judith in. Their first words were there had been an incident,' said Mr White.

Police later revealed Mrs Crown, 86, had been stabbed repeatedly in her chest and neck and clothing was set alight in what was thought to be an attempt to destroy evidence.

Mr White described how his older sister had grown up in the Wisbech area, leaving school to become a telephonist and then marrying her late husband Ron who became postmaster at Elm.

He said her whole family had been shocked by her brutal murder 'since we all expect to die peacefully'.

A 58 year-old man arrested in suspicion of murder has been released on police bail until April 2.