MORE than £3,000 has been raised for the funeral of a Shipston “legend” who collected the town’s rubbish in his cart for over 30 years.

Walter Emms, 66, of Warwick Place, died suddenly and for unknown reasons on Friday, October 6, leaving his family “shocked”.

The popular local figure was known for taking people’s unwanted household items to the tip in his big wooden cart.

Walter is survived by his brother Richard, 69, and his sisters Susan, 59, and Jackie, 54.

His nephew Aaron Emms, 30, who works in debt management at DLC, said: “Walter lived with my mum, Jackie.

“Mum found him just before 11.30am. When the ambulance came they said he passed away at least four hours earlier.

“He had no signs of any illness. He did have angina but nothing major. People said they had seen him out the day before.”

The family set up a Justgiving page to help cover the costs of the funeral, raising £3,250 so far.

They thought a state-funded funeral was the only option, but have been “overwhelmed” by the community’s support.

“It’s a massive weight off our shoulders,” Aaron said.

“Walter wanted to be buried, not cremated, and now he will be buried near his mum and dad. We are able to do the things we never thought would be possible.

“I lived in Shipston until I was 21. I didn’t know Walter was that well-liked, so when the money was coming through and it hit £1,000 in 12 hours, I had to sit back for a moment.”

He spent most of his time helping others, whether it was collecting rubbish, gardening or working on farms.

His brother Richard Emms, of Rainbow Fields, revealed Walter enjoyed spending time with horse-riding group Warwickshire Hunt.

He said: “Walter loved working on the farm. When he wasn't farming he liked to go with Warwickshire Hunt.

“The girls got off their horses and always gave him a kiss and a cuddle. If you couldn't find Walter at the farm or with the hunt, he was found at Shipston rugby club. Walter was a loyal supporter.

“Walter will be very missed in Shipston and he was a great brother to me.”

Aaron added: “I’ll always remember how much he wanted to help people. It’s not just him he thought about but everyone else.

“I was about 14 when he came up to the house and I was out in the garden with my mum and he said quick we need to phone an ambulance. Somebody had been hit at the bottom of the road by a motorbike.”

The family described Walter as a “quirky character” and want his funeral to be a “celebration of what he liked”.

Aaron said: “Walter lived his life day by day. He always lived for the present, not the future.

“His original request was to be taken to church in his cart, but we said we wouldn’t be able to do that. There’s some different things we’re looking at for his funeral.”

The family is planning something special for him to be carried in. They say it will not be a hearse or Walter’s cart.

A hit from boy band Blue will feature on the funeral playlist, but the relatives are keeping the song a surprise for the day.

The extra money raised will hopefully go towards a memorial after many members of the community asked for one to be built in his honour.

Aaron said: “It’s heart-warming that people are thinking about him. People have commented saying that he was a legend.”

Some of the suggestions included using Walter’s cart as a flower display.

Shipston rugby club held a minute silence for Walter at the game against Old Coventrians on Saturday, October 14.

Mayor Dan Scobie, the chairman of the club, said: “Walter was a long-term supporter. He was always here when we had a home game.

“Everybody at the club knew him. When he passed away very suddenly we wanted to do something to recognise the fact that he had been a friend of ours.”

Sasha Steel, 49, a former hairdresser, from Stratford-Upon-Avon, used to buy plants from Walter.

She said: “He loved to talk and say hello and some days just be there waiting for you always with a smile.”

Walter’s funeral will be held on Wednesday, November 1 in St Edmund’s Church, Shipston, at 2pm. Shipston Rugby Club will be holding the wake afterwards.

The family are asking for donations to the Dogs Trust as Walter spent a lot of his life caring for the family dog Taz.