Tributes have been paid to a decorated Second World War hero by family and friends.

Former paratrooper Jack Driver, 87, of Wigston, was a "quiet and unassuming man" who would do anything to help someone.

Private Driver was awarded the Military Medal in 1945 for showing "courage and complete disregard for his own safety" during an enemy night attack in December 1943.

The family know few other details about Jack's heroics.

Son Les Driver, 56, of Portsmouth, said: "He always said it was safer to jump out of the plane than to stay in it, but apart from that he never really talked about what he did.

"He was always there for other people, there was nothing that was too much trouble for him."

Jack's widow, Mavis, 82, met her husband at a dance hall in 1950 and they married the following year. She said: "In some ways he was a happy-go-lucky man but he was also very quiet. He would only talk about the war to other paratroopers."

The citation for Pte Driver's medal reads: "Throughout the fight Pte Driver set a high standard of courage and with complete disregard for his own safety stood up to enemy fire and received it at point blank range."

Pte Driver was born in the Highfields area of Leicester and signed up to the Middlesex Regiment in 1940.

Two years later he transferred to what was then known as the Army Air Corps, which later became the Paras.

He mainly served in Italy with the 4th Battalion and also received Africa and Italy Stars.

Jack was discharged from the army after injuring his shoulder on landing his parachute.

After the war, Jack was a keen cross country and road runner and was part of the team who won the Livingstone Cup Road Race in Leicester in 1948.

He was an electrician and chief technician at the University of Leicester.

During his retirement Jack was a keen golfer at Oadby golf course, which is where his ashes were scattered.

John Parrington of the Leicester branch of the Parachute Regimental Association, read the eulogy at Jack's funeral on Tuesday.

He said: "He was a very quiet and unassuming man.

"I first met Jack in about 1963. He saw my Paras tie and told me he served in the 4th Battalion. I told him when the association met and from then on he was a very loyal member."

Jack died on Friday, July 24 after suffering a series of health problems. He also leaves behind three grandchildren and one great grandchild.