Britons have joined thousands of people who have travelled to Muhammad Ali's home city of Louisville, Kentucky, to honour the boxing great at his funeral.

Murad Qureshi and his brother-in-law Adam Shabbir made the 4,000-mile trip from London to pay respects to "The Greatest".

Mr Qureshi, a former London Assembly member, told the Press Association: "I remember when my father passed away, I said the only other funeral I would want to be at would be Muhammad Ali's one.

"Very simply, he's the greatest. He's had a phenomenal influence on a lot of our lives - not just in the sporting arena as the world heavyweight champion three times, but also as a civil rights campaigner and a conscientious objector.

"He's also made very important interventions in his later life. After 9/11, he said what was done supposedly in the name of Islam was an aberration and also more recently when Donald Trump suggested Muslims shouldn't be able to travel to America.

"I think he's one of the most outstanding individuals I'm likely to see in my lifetime and we're not likely to see again."

Mr Shabbir added: "When people talk about him it's as if he's their own, an uncle or a grandfather or a friend. That's the thing that blows me away. My daughter is only five but for her it's almost like I've gone to a family funeral.

"He definitely transcends labels given to sportsmen or leaders."

Abi Ajram, 48, from London, attended the Islamic prayer service - known as a Jenazah - held on Thursday for Ali at Louisville's Freedom Hall, where Ali made his professional debut with victory over Tunney Hunsaker in 1960.

He said: "I feel Muhammad Ali deserved the world turning up for him.

"He was the number one. I wanted to show my respect to a great man and an even greater humanitarian. He meant a lot to me personally."

Students from De Montfort University Leicester will attend the funeral after they were in Louisville working on a community project when Ali died a week ago.

Project co-ordinator Josh Hargreaves said: "It's been a very humbling experience to be part of this celebration of Ali's life. The city is not in mourning but is instead celebrating his achievements, records, humanitarianism and the city's hero."