Thousands of mourners are expected to attend the funeral of a family man beloved by the racing, boxing and traveller communities alike.

Peter Matthews, 70, died at his home in Horton Hill, Epsom, on Thursday, February 5 after a five-year battle with cancer and then getting pneumonia.

His daughter Chanelle, 24, who was also his carer, said: "He was a very much-loved man, always helping others. Boxing, pigeons, horses and greyhounds those were the things he loved."

On the day of his funeral, March 5, his horse-drawn hearse will go over the Downs where he proudly put up the fences for the Derby for 51 years.

Earlier this week: "Fortune teller was world’s greatest Gypsy woman": trucks full of flowers mark Ewell woman's funeral procession 

Ms Matthews said her father, who had Gypsy blood, also started off a site for trailers there.

She said: "He persuaded Epsom Racecourse to let travellers have somewhere where they could come to the Derby. And ever since they have."

She added: "He has always been part of the racing community. He used to help them all out with work or driving the boxes or looking after the horses."

Her father has asked for the members of his last boxing club, Rose Hill Amateur Boxing Club, in Sutton, to wear their tracksuits to his funeral.

Mr Matthews fell in love with boxing as a boy and went on to spar with the likes of heavyweight Henry Cooper before he had an injury.

Ever since then he has trained youngsters, including young offenders, and once championed the benefits of boxing on a TV show.

Ms Matthews said: "Boxing was his life and boxing probably kept him going right up until he couldn’t go anymore. Pigeons were his hobby, he loved them.

"He loved his horses. My dad was a workaholic, always driving his little digger or fencing or tarmacking, cutting trees. He was a man of many talents."

His 60 racing pigeons will be released into the air as he is buried in Epsom Cemetery. During his life he raced pigeons back from as far afield as France and Belgium.

Ms Matthews said: "He used to race them from all over really. He had them since he was a boy. He won quite a few races."

Two days before the funeral, Mr Matthews’ body will be taken home for a wake with a traditional Gypsy fire outside and lots of flowers.

His biological father was Jasper Smith - a leading traveller whose own funeral brought Epsom to a standstill a number of years ago.

But Mr Matthews was actually brought up by a non-Gypsy man, Fred Matthews, who he called dad and loved very much.

He had five children of his own, including Ms Matthews who described him as the "best" father. He was also devoted to her five-year-old son, Riley.

Ms Matthews said: "He would say ‘whose champ are you going to be?" And Riley would say ‘grandad’s champ’. His dream was for Riley to be a boxer.

"They were like little and large. They both wore flat caps, they both went to watch greyhound racing."

The pair would also watch Peppa Pig and drive across the Downs together. She said: "Riley saw his grandad go from a big strong man, teaching him to box, to gradually going down, down, down."

Her father first had bowel cancer, later got cancer of the bile duct and had two big operations.

Before going in for surgery, he told her that he was going to "win on a knock out".

Afterwards, she said: "He opened his eyes and I remember he said ‘did I win on points or win on a knock out’. I said ‘you won on knock out dad’. He was smiling."

She added: "He was a joker, liked to joke around, never took things seriously, liked to have a laugh, liked to wind people up."

Valerie Smith, 70, secretary and treasurer of Rose Hill Amateur Boxing Club, said: "He was a great asset to amateur boxing. I loved him to bits. He was like a brother.

"Everyone in the amateur boxing world loved him." 

Caroline Baldock, a member of the racing community, said: "He’s a genuinely lovely guy who everyone knows and has been on the Downs all his life."

A nurse, called Beverly, from Princess Alice Hospice cared for Mr Matthews wonderfully at the end of his life.

The family has asked for donations in his memory to go to the hospice and there will be a collection on the day of the funeral.

Floral tributes can be sent to his home - 163 Horton Hill, Epsom, KT19 8SY.

Anyone who would like to pay their respects to Mr Matthews is invited to the funeral at 11.50am at Christ Church Epsom Common, on Thursday, March 5.

Did you know Peter Matthews? Leave a tribute below or email alice.foster@london.newsquest.co.uk