MH17 flight crash: Glenn Thomas funeral in October Published duration 23 September 2014 Related Topics MH17 plane crash

image copyright Wayne crocker image caption Glenn Thomas's body has been returned to Blackpool

The funeral of a 49-year-old press officer who died when Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was downed in Ukraine, will take place next month on Lancashire's Fylde coast.

Glenn Thomas, who lived in Geneva but was originally from Blackpool, was among 298 people killed in July.

A funeral will be held at the Lowther Pavilion on 15 October.

His twin sister Tracey Withers said the humanist service would be "a celebration" of his life.

"He loved life and that's the theme," she said.

Ms Withers added it had been a "a big relief" when her brother's body was returned to the UK last week,

"I thought I was never going to get him home, and I feel for all the other families, but it's nice to know there are people all over the world thinking about you."

Mr Thomas was travelling to Australia for a conference on Aids when the plane crashed.

He had worked as a journalist for the BBC and Granada before moving to Switzerland where he worked as a press officer for the World Health Organisation.