Newham Recorder photographer Steve Poston proved he has one of the sharpest eyes in the business by spotting an unusual story angle while out on an assignment.

The paper recently covered the funeral of Abbas Malik, a 15-year-old bike stunt rider – one of the biggest funerals the area has seen in the last 30 years.

While taking pictures of the funeral procession, Steve noticed something unusual about the funeral car and asked his editor, Colin Grainger, if he knew of anyone with a video tape of the funeral of the Princess of Wales.

Colin himself had a copy and after asking his son to play the tape, they found that the Daimler used in the procession (pictured) was the same hearse from Princess Diana’s funeral.

Steve said: “I’ve been working for the paper for a long time and I’ve got to know local funeral directors from the funerals we’ve covered.

“I knew that most of the cars have private plates or foreign plates but this one didn’t – it was a B-reg from 1985.

“I also noticed it was untaxed and after Princess Diana’s funeral the car used became tax exempt. The editor had taped the funeral for a friend and still had it lying around so we just checked the number plates.”

Colin said: “Our story became an even more unique event with the young lad being taken to his last resting place in the hearse that took the Princess to her funeral.”

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