DETAILS of the funeral for popular Taunton Big Issue seller Kevin Bowyer have been announced.

Kev, as he was known by the scores of passers by who would stop to chat with him at his pitch on Morrisons bridge, died aged 52 last month.

His funeral service will be at Taunton Deane Crematorium on Wednesday, September 11, at 10.30am, followed by cremation.

Funeral arrangements will be by Quantock Funeral Services, while the service will be conducted by Tim Hodge and flowers will be supplied by Shed Flowers.

Mourners are asked to make donations to the Open Door homeless charity, where Kev visited every week to pick up his copies of the Big Issue.

DONATE: Click to donate to Open Door in Kev's memory

Dozens of floral tributes have been left on the bridge where he used to sell the Big Issue every day.

Kev was rushed to Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, after suffering a stroke.

When his condition deteriorated, he was transferred to Southmead Hospital, Bristol, where he died.

Kev, as he was known to passers by who would stop for a chat, never hid from his past.

He openly spoke about his history of alcohol and drug use and how he had spent time in prison.

It was while in jail that he told himself he had brought shame on his family and vowed to turn his life around.

Following his detah, Mark Woodcock, manager of Taunton homeless charity Open Door, paid tribute to Kev, who lived in Beaufort Road in the town.

Mr Woodcock said: "All the time I've known Kev he's been a super guy, steadily working, making his own living from selling the Big Issue.

"He really saw selling the Big Issue as his job. He'd be out there before 8am in the morning whatever the weather.

"He was a thoroughly consistent, dependable guy.

"He recently gave talks on his past and the challenges he's faced to nurses at Taunton Racecourse and to Open Door volunteers to give people an insight into what it's like being an addict."