|PIC2|Mourners gathered at a church in Fairfield, Worcestershire, to pay their respects to the son of a sub-postmaster who was shot and killed by an armed gang last week.

Prayers were said during the service for Craig Hodson-Walker, 29, who was shot in the chest on Friday morning while trying to protect his father, Ken, during a raid on the family’s post office. Ken Hodson-Walker, 56, is recovering in hospital after surgery on Friday.

The 45-minute service was held at St Mark's Church in Fairfield and led by the Archdeacon of Dudley, the Venerable Fred Trethewey.

"There were over 100 people in the church, some of them family, and many of them members of the community," he was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.

"The family found it a great source of support that so many came to be with them today. People were very subdued - it has been a great shock to the village that there was a great sense of strength.

"This will be a difficult time for days to come yet.

"All the villagers have known and have been customers of the shop, so it feels like losing a personal friend."

Craig Hodson-Walker’s mother, Judy, said her son had demonstrated “incredible bravery”, while his fiancee Lisa Bundy described him as her soulmate and best friend.

The West Mercia force said it had more than 100 officers investigating the murder. Officers continue to scour the area around Fairfield Post Office and General Stores for evidence. The Post Office is offering a £50,000 reward to catch the killers.