The husband of Jane Tomlinson, the charity fundraiser who fought a long battle with cancer, broke down in tears yesterday as he paid tribute to her at her funeral.

Mike Tomlinson told mourners at St Anne’s Roman Catholic Cathedral in Leeds that he was “humbled” to have known his wife, who died last week aged 43.

The mother of three defied doctors who gave her only months to live after her illness was diagnosed in 2000. She went on to raise more than £1.75 million through a series of gruelling endurance events.

Hundreds of mourners, including charity executives and leading figures from sport and television such as the former middle distance runner Steve Cram, Paralympian Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson and Leeds-born model Nell McAndrew attended the funeral. A crowd of about a thousand people assembled in the city’s Millennium Square where the service was shown live on a big screen.

Mr Tomlinson’s voice cracked with emotion as he detailed his wife’s achievements, her fight against cancer and her love for her family.

“Her athletic achievements quite rightly marked Jane out as being unique,” he told the congregation. “But for Jane it is her family that she cherished beyond all else. She was immensely proud of all three children. They brought her unimaginable joy.

“It was this love for them that drove her on to have chemo after chemo. In the last year she had the joy of seeing her first grandchild, Emily, being born. I feel truly humbled to have known Jane. That she shared her life with me I can say only ‘How lucky am I?”’

Earlier there was applause from the hundreds of people outside the cathedral as the cortege drew up outside the front of the building.

Mr Tomlinson looked composed but grim-faced as he and his three children, Steven 10, Rebecca, 19 and Suzanne, 21, were met by the Bishop of Leeds, the Rt Rev Arthur Roche.

During the mass the bishop spoke of Mrs Tomlinson’s bravery.

He said: “There are so many people who, with great affection, are joined with us as we gather to pray for and pay tribute to Jane Tomlinson; a very brave and courageous young woman.”

Mrs Tomlinson’s priest, Father Patrick Smythe, said Mrs Tomlinson’s life was full of love and happiness despite her illness. He told the 350 mourners: “There are different levels to Jane’s life but love and happiness feature in them all.”Well-wishers once again applauded as the coffin was placed in the hearse at the end of the service. The family then attended a crematorium for a private service following the funeral Mass.

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