THE funeral for a maverick New Forest vicar who performed services on horseback, onboard boats in the Solent and over the internet will take place this week.

A service for the Rev Peter Murphy, previously vicar of Lyndhurst and Hythe, will take place at St Mary's Church in Fordingbridge at 12.45pm on Thursday.

A web stream of the service will also be available online.

Peter's family have also made his autobiography available for free online. They suggest a small donation to the RNLI Calshot Lifeboat station where Peter was chaplain.

The popular vicar lost his nearly two decade battle with Parkinson's Disease last month, aged 81.

In scenes reminiscent of one of his favourite TV shows The Vicar of Dibley, he was well known for his animal services, officiated on horseback, included donkeys in services and worked alongside his black Labrador Sinner.

A keen sailor, Peter blessed a marriage onboard a tender, baptised a baby with Solent water on the deck of a classic yacht and married a couple on the Hythe Ferry.

Previous parishioner Richard Branson helped with the fundraising to restore a stunning spirit fresco of the 'Virgins' at St Michael's in Lyndhurst and the same church was paid handsomely to accommodate a mobile phone mast on its tower.

Lifeboat crew will form a guard of honour for their former chaplain following the service.

The service will be streamed at http://live.adamjonesav.co.uk/reverendpetermurphy.html

Peter's ebook is available at https://bit.ly/MufBook

Donations to RNLI Calshot Lifeboats, which will scatter Peter's ashes out at sea, can be made at https://petermurphy.muchloved.com/

Nearly £3,000 has already been raised by wellwishers.