The funeral procession of slain burglar Henry Vincent has set off from his family home – a month after he was killed by a pensioner during a botched break-in in Hither Green.
Floral tributes shaped like a BMW convertible, a Ford Transit van, a caravan and a boxing ring were among those adorning black limousines as the convoy snaked through the streets of south-east London.
Members of the burglar’s family swore at photographers and policemen on the route, while others held up Mr Vincent’s picture on the front of the Order of Service.
Meanwhile neighbours of pensioner Richard Osborn-Brooks, who killed Mr Vincent during the burglary, have blocked his road to prevent the procession from passing through.
There is tight security around the entire procession route, as well as the site of Mr Vincent’s death and the church where the funeral is taking place after tensions between the burglar’s family and the local community following the incident.
A 30-minute service will be attended by 200 family and friends and will include Mr Vincent’s favourite songs; ‘If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time’ by R Kelly and The Corr’s cover of ‘Dreams. Mourners will also sing Celine Dion’s classic I’m Your Angel’, MailOnline can reveal.
Black limousines with floral tributes on the top are making their way through south-east London ahead of the funeral of Henry Vincent, the burglar who died after struggling with a pensioner during a botched break-in last month
A woman swore from the window of a limousine with a floral tribute in the shape of a Ford Transit van on top this morning
A woman raises two fingers at photographers as she travelled in a car with a Transit van flower arrangement
Mourners raised their middle fingers at photographers and the police as the procession left Swanley this morning
A floral tribute in the shape of a maroon BMW convertible with the registration ‘1 Henry’ on the front was placed on the hearse
Another of the floral tributes was shaped like a white van with a caravan behind it. The registration is ‘Henry Boy’
One of the floral tributes on top of the convoy of black vehicles was in the shape of a boxing ring as Vincent was known to box
Mr Vincent, 37 (right) was stabbed to death with his own screwdriver by pensioner Richard Osborn-Brooks, 78 (left) as he burgled the pensioner’s home in Hither Green on April 4. No charges were brought against Mr Osborn-Brooks
Mourners arriving at the church are shielding their faces by pulling hoods over their faces and covering their faces with their hands.
Tensions are high as one man dressed in black with a scarf wrapped around his face said to the waiting press: ‘You’re all scum bags who need shooting in the head with a cannon ball!’
Another threw a can at a photographer.
One of the mourners, who refused to give her name, said: ‘His body has been kept in an open casket for three days outside his mum’s house so people can see him.
‘His mum is devastated, she has not left the house at all for days. After the funeral we’re coming back to the mum’s house for the wake and there will be a massive bonfire.
‘People will the sit around and say nice things about him. I know he’s done a bad thing, but he’s dead and it’s only right for the family to pay their respects.’
Flowers arranged to look like a purple sports car sat on top of the hearse, which was followed by eight black Mercedes limousines carrying family and friends to the funeral service.
One limousine had a red van made out of flowers on the roof, another a white boxing ring. One tribute spelled out ‘I Love You Cuz’ while another arrangement spelled out ‘Henry’.
A woman dressed in black leaned out of the window of one of the limousines as the convoy arrived at the church
A man sitting in the front of the hearse carrying Mr Vincent’s body swore at photographers and police along the way
Some mourners covered their heads with towels as they arrived at the church. Around 200 people are expected at the service
Locals this morning parked their cars across the entrance to the road where Mr Vincent died in Hither Green, amid fears the burglar’s family might try to bring a funeral procession along the residential street.
A man who parked his Ford Mondeo across the entrance to the road, who gave his name only as ‘Dave’, said the police should be blocking the road to protect residents.
He said: ‘I think it’s a disgrace that they want to bring the funeral past after all the flower debacle. It’s just not on.’
The 57-year-old said he had decided to park up despite police guidance that the funeral procession is not due to enter Lewisham.
He said: ‘There is the possibility that they might bring the body down in a hearse first and do a pass-by and then go back and have the actual funeral (elsewhere).’
Two undertakers in top hats and carrying canes led the procession down the road of the council estate as locals looked on
Others held up the funeral’s Order of Service as the convoy of cars drove towards the church in Orpington, south London
Many lavish flower arrangements were put on the cars transporting Mr Vincent’s family to the church this morning
A large convoy of black cars have pulled up to transport Mr Vincent’s family from their home in Swanley to the funeral
Police have been drafted in to the area amid fears over security following Mr Vincent’s death at the start of last month
A fleet of cars, mostly Mercedes, arrived at the family home on a council estate in Swanley to take the family to the service
The silver hearse was followed by 10 black saloons, all adorned with floral tributes as the procession moved through London
Police have stepped up patrols, circling the area, but Dave said he will remain parked at the end of the road unless a police vehicle replaces him.
Iain Gordon, who said he previously removed flowers laid in tribute to Vincent at the scene of the crime, returned to Hither Green in protest at the possibility the funeral procession may pass the house.
Mr Gordon, who did not wish to say where he was from, brought a portrait he had drawn of Vincent.
Holding it up, he said: ‘This is a man that could’ve been a professional boxer. He could’ve had a good living from being a professional boxer. But he was taken on the road to crime.’
Mr Gordon said he had been told by police he is on a ‘hit list’ since he removed flowers from outside the house in the aftermath of Vincent’s death.
He said he wanted to warn the public that there are ‘dangerous people’ around, adding: ‘Society seems to let them wander around and do what they like.’
Of the outrage which followed Vincent’s death, he said: ‘It’s good that there’s enough humanity within the general population that they’re willing to stand up and say ‘we’ve had enough of this crime. We’re not going to tolerate it. People climbing into other people’s houses’.’
Locals parked their cars across the entrance to Richard Osborn-Brooks’s street today to prevent the procession of Henry Vincent, the burglar who was killed by the pensioner during a break-in, from passing through
Police were also at the scene today, although officers have said they do not believe the funeral route will include the road
Police also remained outside the house from which Mr Osborn-Brooks was forced to move amid fears of recriminations
Father of three Mr Vincent will be laid to rest at St Mary’s Church close to his family home in Orpington, Kent, at 11.30am this morning.
An order of service will be given to every mourner which includes a photograph of Mr Vincent on the front cover and a spread of family album photographs inside.
Afterwards the hearse will take the coffin to a private burial ceremony nearby at one of three local cemeteries – St Mary Cray, St Paul’s or All Saints.
At least eight black Mercedes limousines have gathered around the family home of Mr Vincent on a housing estate in Swanley.
A number of large floral tributes are also outside the house, where a marquee has been set up.
Scotland Yard say that while the funeral procession is not expected to pass the empty, boarded-up property in Hither Green, South London, ‘high visibility patrols’ will be in the area for ‘community reassurance’.
Father of three Mr Vincent will be laid to rest at St Mary’s Church, where flowers have been tied to lampposts by mourners
A police van arrived at the church this morning to provide extra extra security ahead of the procession and funeral
A grave site has been dug ahead of the church funeral for the 37-year-old father-of-three following his death last month
Members of Vincent’s family angered neighbours of Mr Osborn-Brooks on South Park Crescent by setting up a large shrine to his memory, complete with balloons, cards and flowers.
Furious locals ripped down the tributes several times only for his relatives to put them back again until council chiefs stepped in and removed them.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: ‘The Metropolitan Police have been informed by the organisers of plans for the funeral of Henry Vincent due to take place on Thursday, 3 May.
‘We have been told that a large number of people may attend, and an appropriate policing plan has been put in place in consultation with Kent Police and the relevant local authorities.
‘It is not for the Metropolitan Police to disclose funeral arrangements – when and where the funeral is being held, and the route of the funeral procession.’
‘It is not unusual for large funeral processions to cause traffic disruption. Any impact will be managed by traffic officers, and borough officers will also be deployed at key locations. No road closures have been requested.
‘We are aware of reports that the procession will pass by South Park Crescent. At this time, our understanding is that the procession is not due to enter Lewisham.’
The procession is expected to go from Mr Vincent’s family home in Swanley to the church, not passing Hither Green
A temporary structure has been built in front of the family home, where a wake will be held this afternoon
Relatives of Mr Vincent have erected a marquee at an address in Swanley as they prepare for his funeral, which is rumoured to be costing £100,000
Extra police are being drafted in to the area amid tensions between the local community and the burglar’s family
The police spokesman added: ‘To provide community reassurance, there will be high-visibility patrols in the Hither Green and South Park Crescent area on the day of the funeral.
‘The Metropolitan Police will also be running a London wide policing operation as part of the 2018 Local Government elections that are taking place on the same day.’
The possibility of the funeral party visiting South Park Crescent had posed the biggest potential flashpoint because of previous ill-feeling between Mr Vincent’s family and locals.
During the trouble with the floral tributes – the so-called ‘Battle of the Bouquets’ – mounted police patrols were brought in to keep the peace.
A source close to the Vincent family boasted last month that they were planning to hold a two-day vigil around his body telling stories about him before a £100,000 ‘big send-off’ past Mr Osborn-Brooks’ home.
They said the procession – where flowers alone will cost as much as £50,000 – will pass the spot where he died, following gipsy tradition.
Mr Vincent’s father Henry, 59, (left), and his wife Rosemary, 59, (right) are both expected to attend the funeral today along with 200 mourners
The Vincents are preparing for the controversial funeral of their son Vincent Jnr, which will be held tomorrow. Pictured: Friends and family of Vincent leave flowers and balloons at a memorial near the house in Hither Green where he died
The source told MailOnline: ‘Travellers take their funeral corteges past where a person died and they want to give him a big send off as he was a patriarchal figure.
‘But they also want to make a big show about his death and prove the gipsy legend that they’re not to be messed with.’
In response local vigilantes were said to be planning on blocking access to the road with their vehicles to keep the funeral cortege out.
Mr Vincent was stabbed to death with his own screwdriver after confronting former military man Mr Osborn-Brooks during a late-night raid.
The pensioner has not returned to the detached home since the break-in on April 4. He is thought to be considering selling the property and never moving back. When asked to clarify whether the funeral procession would definitely avoid the suburban South London neighbourhood a relative said: ‘It’s a closely-guarded family secret.
‘The funeral will be a strictly family and friends only affair, the media are not welcome and should stay away.’
A spokesman for St Mary’s Church said the Metropolitan Police had briefed them about their security, which includes banning news crews from church grounds so as not to antagonise mourners.